Recruiting Strategy - Hiring Baby Boomers

PART THREE | Hiring Baby Boomers

Over 75 million people were born between 1946 and 1964, which is broadly referred to as the Baby Boomer generation. Of the three generations we have profiled in this three-part series, this is the one with the most working/professional experience. So recruiting, hiring, and retaining this generation presents its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages.

First, let's dispel some baby boomer myths:

ONE
Baby Boomers don’t understand technology – they actually embrace it in many cases and have had their children, and even grandchildren, bring them up to speed quickly. Indeed conducted a survey in December 2014 and found that 73.4% of Millennials clicked on jobs through mobile while Baby Boomers clicked on jobs through mobile at 48.4%. That is still almost half of the market!

TWO
Baby Boomers are looking to coast into retirement and not work hard – with increased costs for healthcare, many Boomers are looking to work 5-7 years or more than originally anticipated to help close the gap in paying for healthcare.

THREE
Baby Boomers cannot learn new skills – more and more we are hearing about “second careers” after semi-retiring from professions such as teaching, skilled labor, public sector, and government jobs.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when recruiting Baby Boomers:

They are happy taking direction from others. Remember when the Baby Boomers grew up: strict upbringings, expectations on behavior, and even career paths are pre-determined and follow a set of unspoken rules. These candidates can fit in very well in individual contributor roles without aspiring to run the department in six months or expect a 50% pay raise for staying past their two-year anniversary.

Money is not the main motivating factor. While still an important factor, it is not as important as early in a career when a mortgage payment is a mainstay, student loans are being paid off, likely multiple car payments, and expenses coming along with children. Those fixed costs are eliminated and the focus becomes standard of living and providing for important upcoming expenditures like healthcare.

They can still manage and mentor younger workers.Some companies intentionally pair up Baby Boomer generation employees with Millennials and Gen X/Y employees to impart some wisdom. The Millennial generation especially is interested in this as they strongly desire to achieve what many Baby Boomers have already achieved. If they can ask directly someone in that generation, they will take it to heart and apply it to their own career.

They may still work longer in one position than a Millennial. Some data suggests that Millennials will only stay in a job for three years or less in most cases. So if an obstacle to hiring a Baby Boomer is lack of upside or tenure, there is a pretty good chance that they would stay with your company longer than a Millennial that you might hire at the same time.

They will work when expected to work, especially during traditional working hours. Many Millennials demand a flexible working environment, remote/work-from-home roles, casual attire, and much more. Baby Boomers will be prepared, ready, and able to work more of a 9-to-5 schedule with a 20-minute lunch and expectation of business or business casual attire. They will still desire vacation time, holidays off, and work/life balance, but to a lesser degree. It is more of a privilege to be earned and not an entitlement.

The Baby Boomers will come to work as former business owners, balanced expectations, and a wealth of knowledge from seeing the world change exponentially in the 50-65 years they have been alive. That can bring a great sense of perspective, good attitude, and experiences that can help shape the next generation in your current workplace. Maybe it is time to starting hiring more of them!