Although much has been written about managing millennials, the nation’s demographics indicate that the labor force participation of older Americans is growing rapidly. That means it’s becoming much more common to see younger people managing older employees – a situation that is not without its challenges.
First, let’s take a quick look at the numbers. As of 2012, 66.6 percent of Americans 55 and older were still actively in the workforce, and that number is expected to increase to 74 percent by 2022. It’s clear that people are living longer, more productive lives and that they are either choosing to remain in the workforce longer or return to work in some capacity after retirement.
Conventional wisdom has told us that managers hire in their own image. However, the reality is that if you want to run a successful operation, you can’t hire (or retain) only those people who are just like you. Getting comfortable with managing people of all ages is imperative if you want to move up the corporate ladder.
As a young manager myself, I realize that we need older workers and must be comfortable managing them. Here are some tips to bear in mind when managing older employees:
The bottom line is that it’s your job to maximize your resources so you can achieve corporate goals and create a climate for individual growth. Forming a strong team with multiple levels of experience and perspectives will go a long way toward getting you there.