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Home > BizTimes Daily > Archives > April 23, 2007
Survey says employers need new hiring strategies
Published April 23, 2007 - BizTimes Daily
Although U.S. employers are struggling to fill jobs in the midst of talent shortages, most do not have specialized retention and recruiting strategies targeting the largest available workforce segment - those over age 50 - according to new research from Manpower Inc.
In the study of 1,000 U.S. employers, 78 percent indicated they were not concerned that an aging workforce might hamper their ability to recruit and retain talented workers. Additional findings support this sentiment, including the fact that only 28 percent of survey respondents reported having a strategy to retain workers past retirement age while just 18 percent have a strategy to recruit older workers.
"There is a real contradiction occurring in hiring trends right now," said Melanie Holmes, vice president of corporate affairs-North America for Manpower "Employers acknowledge that they are having trouble finding qualified candidates to fill open positions, but we are learning that they need help implementing programs that are tailored to older workers. With the first wave of baby boomers on the cusp of traditional retirement age, there is still time to engage a generation that is willing and able to continue working."
Employers that explicitly include older workers as part of their talent strategy have found success with programs that appeal to the wants and needs of the workers themselves, Holmes said.
"Employers who respond to the aging workforce will fare better in the competition for talent and find that they benefit from a richer, more diverse workforce," Holmes. "The key is to start planning now for future talent needs."
For additional information about "The Graying of Milwaukee," see a recent in-depth report by SBT at http://www.biztimes.com/news/2007/3/2/the-graying-of-milwaukee.
