Employ an older worker, experience pays!

The percentage of older workers in the working population is increasing especially due to the decreasing proportion of younger people joining the labour force. This is due to two main factors, namely, more young people opting for a longer period of post-secondary, vocational and tertiary education, and a lower birth rate. This is happening in all western, developed economies, including Malta.

The employers stand to gain by keeping older workers in employment and employing new older workers.

Older workers have many advantages. The following are some of the great values:

Maturity: You are dealing with an adult who knows what responsibility is. No child's play. He is serious in his dealings. Attitude to work is that of a grown-up. He already knows the importance of time and time-keeping, thus giving a day's work for a day's pay and being punctual is part of him already.

Experience: An older worker has fruitful work experience that you can tap and rely on. Challenges are not new to him. He is seasoned in tackling difficulties and solving problems; he knows what to do and where to go in awkward situations; his experience in job relations are already developed, thus relating to customers, colleagues and to superiors is already ingrained in him.

Loyalty: An older worker is loyal to his employer. He values this quality so much. An employer for him is the provider of his bread and butter and loyalty to him is a form of security that he appreciates and is anxious to preserve for a long time. The longer the period of employment the greater the loyalty to his employer.

Continuity: An older worker provides an employer with continuity on the job and he is less likely to hop off to another job, thus an employer saves time and money in training and retraining new workers. Young employees hop off more frequently from one job to another.

Statistically older workers are less on sick and frequent leave. They are steadier on their job and less likely to be, say, on maternity or paternity leave.

Expertise: He has already been trained in a particular skill or has got a particular knowledge that an employer can put to his good use.

Training investment: An older, experienced worker knows his job well and produces more. He is more stable. Original training expenses have turned into an investment and no further training expenses are involved, as in the case of younger employees who frequently change jobs and new employees have to be trained again.

The only expense incurred in the case of older employees is for retraining purposes to meet technological progress. Also younger and new employees could be assigned with him to be given his skills and knowledge.

Dedication: An older worker is more dedicated to his job. He finds in it his personal satisfaction and fulfilment. His dedication is serious and complete.

Discipline: Another very important value of an older worker is his sense of discipline. His mind is more set on his job that he does meticulously. His production is constant, continuous and he is less distracted in his work.

Acceptance of authority: An older worker knows and understands the importance of authority. He is less rebellious and accepts the fact that someone has to be in charge and give orders. He understands more the importance of management and its functions. Authority for him means organisation and order and it is regarded as a necessity.

Managerial ability: His long work experience has taught him how to manage better the production process. His managerial ability, in using the available human resources and raw materials, is more efficient since he understands more the value of each.

Less sporadic leave off work: Statistically it has been found that older workers are less absent from work when compared to younger employees especially in the cases of sporadic absences, attendances immediately after weekends and sick leave.

Better customer care especially in the retail trade: When it comes to human relations especially customer care, older workers are more experienced and give a better service.

They are especially more humane and understanding particularly with older customers. And it has been found that older customers prefer older employees giving them a service, too.

Experienced employers, when interviewed seemed to agree with the above positive aspects and actually seek older unemployed to fill their vacant positions.

A paradoxical situation has developed were the average age of the economically active work force is increasing, yet people aged 40 and over are sometimes regarded as nearing the end of their working life. This is a situation that no country and increasingly no employer can regard as sustainable.

Following the recent history of early retirement and discrimination against older workers in many countries, policy makers in governments and the workplace are considering the costs and the losses caused by the exclusion of these older workers.

Employ an older worker, experience pays!

Mr Mifsud is the author of a comprehensive study on the problem of the over 40s unemployed, both in Malta and in other countries, particularly in EU countries. He read Economics and Public Administration at the University of Malta and Economics and Political Science at Plater College, Oxford. An ex-head of school, engaged on a Programme for Jobseekers over 40 years, at the ETC, and also a voluntary teacher of the adult illiterates at the Jesuits', Paolo Freire Institute, Zejtun.