More Americans are working past the age of retirement – here's how this trend should shape your job offer

The needs of employees who are working past the retirement age should be what employers who are hiring and job recruiters should tap into to capture this growing workforce segment.

Creating a human resources initiative that targets workers who are about to age into retirement may seem counterintuitive to a hiring strategy. However, recent labor statistics show that older employees are poised to be the fastest growing workforce segment.

The participation rates of the 55-to-64 and 65-plus age groups are projected to climb higher over the next decade as older workers increasingly opt to stay in the workforce, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

These so-called "employment extenders" could be the solution for hiring managers and job recruiters who are struggling to find employees.

"In a tight labor market, employers are increasingly tapping into the growing pool of older workers, sometimes by including explicit appeals in job postings inviting retirees to apply," ZipRecruiter Chief Economist Julia Pollak said in a recent survey. She added that the volume of listings targeting retirees that were posted on the job search site "more than doubled between 2016 and 2019."

If you’re looking to build up your team, ZipRecruiter’s free online tool can help you find the right people for the job.

How to understand and avoid age bias when posting a job

While older Americans are the fastest-growing segment of the labor force, many said they faced barriers to employment, according to the ZipRecruiter survey.  

For many older candidates, evidence of age bias starts with a listing on a job board. Eleven percent of job posts describe ideal candidates in terms most typically associated with youthfulness, call for recent graduates or place a ceiling on the desired experience level – for example, calling for candidates with "no more than" five years' experience, according to the survey.

Another barrier that older workers face in the workforce is the perception that they might have a tech deficiency compared to younger co-workers.  

While most (87%) employers believed that older workers were just as capable of performing on the job as younger workers, 45% were concerned over the tech-savvy of more senior workers relative to younger employees, the survey said. As a result, 25% of employers would hire a 30-year-old over a 60-year-old if faced with equally qualified candidates. 

"That bias may be a challenge for older workers to overcome, even for those who successfully 'reskill' themselves," Pollak said. 

Overcoming tech deficiency is an obstacle that can be remedied with workplace training and employers risk missing out on some of the benefits that an older worker can bring to the workplace. The benefits of older employees can include:

Reliability

Older workers tend to be reliable workers, meaning that more senior employees are more likely to show up to work on time and are likely to call in sick less, ZipRecruiter said in a blog post. Older workers also tend to be more loyal to the position than their younger colleagues.

Mentoring

A worker with decades of experience can also be an invaluable mentor for a younger workforce.

"While younger workers bring much needed energy and new ideas to a workplace, older workers bring things that are equally as valuable – experience, wisdom and perspective," ZipRecruiter said. "These qualities often get dismissed in the excitement of progress. But as history shows, progress without perspective can lead us down a perilous road."

Strong Network

Older employees can add a certain gravitas in the workplace and can reflect positively on a company's brand, according to the recruitment site’s blog post. It elaborated that "an older worker with a strong network can be an invaluable resource to a company, especially one with a younger and inexperienced workforce."

How employers can embrace a growing older workforce to find employees

Business insurance broker Emborker said in a blog post that how employers craft a job board listing can help to change the narrative of ageism in the workplace. Instead of language that leaves out senior workers, employers can add text in the listing that reassures job candidates they will not be discriminated against based on their age, race, sexual orientation or gender identity.

"To go one step further, consider publishing a senior-oriented ad for a position that would be a good fit for people past their retirement age who might want to (or have to) re-enter the workforce," Embroker said.

Companies can also help older employees and job candidates feel represented by including them in their branding. 

"Displaying pictures of aging people on your 'About Us' page and other company visuals will demonstrate that your workplace is inclusive and does not discriminate or favor a certain age group," Embroker said.

Companies should also ensure that training and development opportunities are available to all employees if they are interested in learning and expanding their skill sets, regardless of their age or position in the workplace hierarchy, according to Embroker.

Given the benefits of hiring older employees, consider using a free tool like ZipRecruiter to guide you through the job posting process and help you find experienced workers.