Top Tips To Re-Engage Boomers And Generation Xers

Creation of affinity groups can help

Companies are experiencing a severe talent shortage and some experts predict that it will continue over the next few years. One of the factors contributing to this talent shortage is that Boomers and Gen Xers have left the workforce because they have either retired or withdrawn from the market. The departure of employable individuals aged 42 and above from the workforce has negative repercussions for companies. In-depth industry knowledge, historical knowledge, expertise and experience are lost, all of which cannot be quickly learned or replaced.    

Over the years, companies have addressed ways to attract and retain a multigenerational workforce with varied values and priorities. Examples of what companies have implemented include changes to benefit programs, adding working from home options and redesigning learning programs. One way companies have tried to retain employees from underrepresented groups, including those who are aged 40 and over, is through the creation of affinity groups. 

Affinity groups are employer-sponsored and employee-organized groups with the purpose of creating a community of members who share common experiences and interests.  An “Over 40” affinity group would be primarily composed of members who fall under the Boomers and Gen X generations. Members do not necessarily need to be a Boomer or Gen Xer; in these cases, these members would be considered “allies” to the affinity group. Members of the affinity groups organize events and programs that are of interest to them for both their members and the entire company.

In addition to affinity groups, what else can companies do to recruit, retain and tap into this experienced workforce?

What exactly does “fit” mean anyway? Without a company-wide clear definition of “fit” and a standard, methodical and rigorous method of interviewing for “fit”, subjectivity and “gut feeling” creep into the interviewing and candidate selection processes.  

Focus on hiring candidates for the skills that are needed for the role. This means, both the hard and the soft skills are needed. Examples of hard skills include software engineering skills, project management skills and accounting skills.  Examples of soft skills include customer orientation and detail orientation. 

When screening candidates, consider skills that may be transferable to the role. There are candidates who may not have the exact experience that you are looking for but if the candidate’s skills are transferable to the role you are filling, consider those candidates.

For example, a software engineering candidate may not have the experience in a specific coding language that is required for the role.  However, this candidate may have had years of experience with other coding languages in the past and has shown to have mastered them with ease. This indicates that the candidate understands the logic and methodology of coding languages and most likely, would be able to pick up other coding languages. Another example is an HR Generalist who may not have experience in a specific industry. As long as the HR Generalist has experience in the HR functions that are required for the role, the skills can be transferable to different industries. 

What brings employees together is a strong company leadership team that shares a common mission and vision of the company with employees, and one that all employees can believe in and rally behind. Focus on highlighting company successes and milestones, and group/team contributions. Employees will feel proud of being part of such a company.

Company-wide business successes translate to individual team successes and to individual employee. Create an environment where managers and leaders are listening to the views of all of their team members and where all recommendations are considered when making final decisions.  What better way to engage experienced employees than by letting them know that their ideas and experiences are valued and that they ultimately contribute to the company’s success.