ADDING BALANCE
Another advantage of an older worker is an increased likelihood
of a relatively stable life.
“When you’re a younger employee, you may want or need to
move around more for work, switching jobs and even cities. You’re
going through tons of life changes,” said Jaworski. That tapers as
we age, she adds, as part of a natural progression. Rather than
seek ways to grow and advance their own careers, studies suggest
older workers become more invested in seeing the organization as
a whole succeed, meaning they’re likely to be better team players
and can act as role models for younger generations.
In a multigenerational workforce, older workers tend to have a
grounding influence, too.
“One of the things scientists have discovered is that older people
have a more balanced brain,” said Jaworski, meaning left and right
brain functions find a little more equilibrium. “This often makes
older workers much more emotionally steady so they offer a different
kind of perspective and bring some stability to a team.”
Including boomers as part of the workplace mix promotes a different
culture, agrees Cousineau.
“It’s more of a caring culture and given Generation Y, that’s a
good thing,” he said. “Millennials are generally looking for more of
a caring and nurturing environment.”
If a skilled worker shortage materializes, boomers may find they
have a great deal of choice when considering where to work. And if
they’re collecting a pension or have saved well, they may not necessarily
need to continue working. In short, in some cases you might
need them more than they need you. So the question becomes,
how can an organization attract and retain top boomer talent?
INVEST IN YOUR ASSETS
People want to continue to work in an organization that offers
some challenges, for one thing.
“When somebody gets really good at something, there’s a tendency
to want to leave them there,” said Jaworski. “That’s a reason
people leave organizations – they get bored to tears.”
A smart organization will offer continuous learning to employees
of all ages.
“It might be having your older workers teach your younger
workers how to do things; it might be changing an older worker’s
role; it might be training them to do different kinds of things,”
said Jaworski. “People tend to want to have training until the day
they leave.”
cover feature
“WE KNOW THAT FLEXIBILITY IS
THE NUMBER ONE AREA THAT
OLDER OR HIGH-EXPERIENCE
WORKERS ARE INTERESTED IN.”
– BARBARA JAWORSKI, CEO, THE WORKPLACE INSTITUTE
Introducing NFP Solutions —
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Continued on page 32
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Flexcare®, FollowMe™ Health, Travel Insurance for Visitors to Canada, Travel Insurance for Students and Lifecheque® Basic plans are underwritten by The
Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife Financial). Travel Insurance for Travelling Canadians is underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company
and First North American Insurance Company (FNA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Manulife Financial. TM/® Trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance
Company. Manulife Financial, Manulife Financial For Your Future logo and the Block Design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are
used by it, and by its afliates under license.
Insurance services provided through NFP Canada, a subsidiary of National Financial Partners Corp. (NFP).
NFP Canada is an afliate of NFP Securities, Inc. and a subsidiary of National Financial Partners Corp.,
the parent company of NFP Securities, Inc. © 2013 National Financial Partners Corp. All Rights Reserved.
30 ❚ FEBRUARY 2014 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL