Adapting to an Aging Workforce
With the American workforce growing older, hospitals and other employers will need to offer more age-neutral incentives and policies to attract and retain health care personnel, said Emily Allen, director of the AARP Workforce Initiative at the American Staffing Association annual conference.
“Some businesses are ahead of the curve, but others really haven’t gotten it yet,” said Allen director of the AARP Workforce Initiative.
The initiative aims to create a better workplace for older individuals by educating employers about the benefits of hiring and retaining older workers and ways businesses can incorporate age-neutral practices into their policies. Many benefits of interest to older workers, such as flexible hours, also appeal to young people.
For years, businesses thought of hiring older adults as a philanthropic endeavor. Now, many employers look to mature workers as a good return on investment. They bring loyalty and a strong work ethic to the workplace.
More than 77.5 million people in the baby boom generation, born between 1946 and 1964, are approaching traditional retirement age, but 80 percent of this cohort plans to continue working. Many want to remain engaged, but most will need the money or benefits. In fact, Allen said, boomers may take a lower salary to keep their health insurance coverage.
Employers must not consider boomers as a homogenous group, with everyone wanting the same work experiences, because diversity is a key characteristic of the generation.
Some boomers will want part-time work, perhaps in an entirely different line of work. As a group, they eagerly anticipate new things. Health care ranks high on their interest list, along with teaching and consulting.
Allen recounted the story of a 55-year-old woman, whose husband had died. The former caregiver asked AARP for help finding employment. Allen suggested a certified nursing assistant course and employment. Initially, the woman resisted something so similar to how she spent her final days with her husband, then she decided to give it a try. She enjoyed the work so much, she returned to school to become a nurse.
“Eighty-nine percent say an ideal job will include learning something new,” Allen said. “Most know they will need to retrain to stay in the workforce.”
By 2010, one in three workers will be age 50 or older. The baby boomers, in general, are more educated than prior generations, with 30 percent holding one or more college degrees. They also have built up a score of experience and know how to get things done on the job.
“As boomers step out of the workforce, they are taking with them a lot of knowledge, skills and information,” Allen said.
For nursing, that knowledge drain could affect patient care. Experienced nurses typically can size up a clinical situation very quickly and take action. Phased retirements, with experienced nurses working part time and passing those skills to younger nurses, could help ease the transition.
To address the situation, AARP has brought together 50 health-care employers to develop recommendations for keeping workers in five key areas:
• Worklife -- The task force will evaluate job sharing, shorter shifts and offering help with elder care issues. Many boomers are responsible for caring for aging family members.
• Benefits -- This includes an evaluation of core benefits, such as health and retirement, as well as gym membership and closer parking spaces for tenured staff.
• Training and re-skilling -- Older nurses as well as those newer to the field must keep up with ever-changing advancements in medicine. Also, the profession needs more nurse faculty to ensure an ample supply of new nurses in the future.
• Environment and tools -- Most health-care environments are more taxing than need be, and that can drive older nurses away from the bedside. Ergonomic beds and lift equipment makes the job of caring for people easier.
• Meaningful work -- Nurses want a greater voice in decision making and to develop as a professional within the work environment.
“We will come up with the best practices and processes,” Allen said. “Our goal is to make recommendations in the first quarter of 2006. We hope it will be a living document. We will encourage people to try things and get back to us about what worked best.”
The AARP initiative also includes a featured employers program to help connect companies interested in hiring mature workers with people age 50 years and older looking for a job. Two health-care employers participate: Johns Hopkins Medicine, which did not return requests for more information, and Universal Health Services, which has used the program as a recruiting tool. It has hired six people through AARP.
“We have had huge interest from companies,” Allen said. “Businesses understand the changing demographics. They will need to recruit and retain those older individuals as they face labor shortages.”
By Debra Wood, RN, contributor
With the American workforce growing older, hospitals and other employers will need to offer more age-neutral incentives and policies to attract and retain health care personnel, said Emily Allen, director of the AARP Workforce Initiative at the American Staffing Association annual conference.
“Some businesses are ahead of the curve, but others really haven’t gotten it yet,” said Allen director of the AARP Workforce Initiative.
The initiative aims to create a better workplace for older individuals by educating employers about the benefits of hiring and retaining older workers and ways businesses can incorporate age-neutral practices into their policies. Many benefits of interest to older workers, such as flexible hours, also appeal to young people.
For years, businesses thought of hiring older adults as a philanthropic endeavor. Now, many employers look to mature workers as a good return on investment. They bring loyalty and a strong work ethic to the workplace.
More than 77.5 million people in the baby boom generation, born between 1946 and 1964, are approaching traditional retirement age, but 80 percent of this cohort plans to continue working. Many want to remain engaged, but most will need the money or benefits. In fact, Allen said, boomers may take a lower salary to keep their health insurance coverage.
Employers must not consider boomers as a homogenous group, with everyone wanting the same work experiences, because diversity is a key characteristic of the generation.
Some boomers will want part-time work, perhaps in an entirely different line of work. As a group, they eagerly anticipate new things. Health care ranks high on their interest list, along with teaching and consulting.
Allen recounted the story of a 55-year-old woman, whose husband had died. The former caregiver asked AARP for help finding employment. Allen suggested a certified nursing assistant course and employment. Initially, the woman resisted something so similar to how she spent her final days with her husband, then she decided to give it a try. She enjoyed the work so much, she returned to school to become a nurse.
“Eighty-nine percent say an ideal job will include learning something new,” Allen said. “Most know they will need to retrain to stay in the workforce.”
By 2010, one in three workers will be age 50 or older. The baby boomers, in general, are more educated than prior generations, with 30 percent holding one or more college degrees. They also have built up a score of experience and know how to get things done on the job.
“As boomers step out of the workforce, they are taking with them a lot of knowledge, skills and information,” Allen said.
For nursing, that knowledge drain could affect patient care. Experienced nurses typically can size up a clinical situation very quickly and take action. Phased retirements, with experienced nurses working part time and passing those skills to younger nurses, could help ease the transition.
To address the situation, AARP has brought together 50 health-care employers to develop recommendations for keeping workers in five key areas:
• Worklife -- The task force will evaluate job sharing, shorter shifts and offering help with elder care issues. Many boomers are responsible for caring for aging family members.
• Benefits -- This includes an evaluation of core benefits, such as health and retirement, as well as gym membership and closer parking spaces for tenured staff.
• Training and re-skilling -- Older nurses as well as those newer to the field must keep up with ever-changing advancements in medicine. Also, the profession needs more nurse faculty to ensure an ample supply of new nurses in the future.
• Environment and tools -- Most health-care environments are more taxing than need be, and that can drive older nurses away from the bedside. Ergonomic beds and lift equipment makes the job of caring for people easier.
• Meaningful work -- Nurses want a greater voice in decision making and to develop as a professional within the work environment.
“We will come up with the best practices and processes,” Allen said. “Our goal is to make recommendations in the first quarter of 2006. We hope it will be a living document. We will encourage people to try things and get back to us about what worked best.”
The AARP initiative also includes a featured employers program to help connect companies interested in hiring mature workers with people age 50 years and older looking for a job. Two health-care employers participate: Johns Hopkins Medicine, which did not return requests for more information, and Universal Health Services, which has used the program as a recruiting tool. It has hired six people through AARP.
“We have had huge interest from companies,” Allen said. “Businesses understand the changing demographics. They will need to recruit and retain those older individuals as they face labor shortages.”
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