On Staffing Shortages

Really?

“Nobody wants to work.”

We hear this all the time these days, as businesses struggle to hire and keep the employees they need.

But it’s not true.

The Great Resignation is not about nobody wanting to work. It’s about people re-examining their work life, wanting meaningful work, respect for their contributions, and a living wage.

This is what’s true, for people at all points on the age spectrum..

The last few years have made it abundantly clear that too often humans are regarded as resources. We need to be thinking of resources for humans, not resources as humans. Big difference. When the attitude toward people is  “Use them up, wear them out” – well, you know what? Employers end up having to make do and do without staffing.

This is what happens when you treat people like commodities. People are not commodities. They are not interchangeable, nor are they pieces of machinery with planned obsolescence or a use-by date.

Actually, lots of people want to work, would love to work. But even in the face of employers scrambling to fully staff, a whole bunch of these willing workers can’t even get an interview.

I’m talking about adults on the older end of the age spectrum with a ton of experience.

Let’s talk about what is true and what are myths about hiring and retaining older workers.

What’s the truth?

Myth: They can’t learn new skills. Truth: We can, we want to, and we continue to do so. For the most part, our digital skills have picked up speed during the pandemic by necessity. It’s important, too, to remember that digital skills are not the only important skills at work. As Ashton Applewhite writes in her book, This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, “Older workers score high in leadership, detail-oriented tasks, organization, listening, writing skills, and problem-solving.” What if we said younger workers couldn’t learn those skills? Not cool. Yes, automation and AI are having an impact. But the wisdom and human/soft skills that come from experience will always be needed. Let’s train for all skills and bring them all to the collaborative table.

Myth: Older workers have more health problems than younger ones, will be absent more and cost the company money. Truth:  Most older folks are healthy and highly reliable. We are also past the stage of life when we have to miss work because of sick children. And if we’re 65 or older, we don’t need health insurance through our employers at all because we get Medicare.

Myth: We don’t have to pay younger workers as much. Truth: Pay needs to be related to experience and professional development, not age. Given the extremely low unemployment rate currently, you’re going to have to bump up pay across the board. Plus, too often paying younger workers on the low end of the scale exploits them. If they have to drive Door Dash and have three roommates to make ends meet on what you’re paying them, something is wrong and it’s not with them.

Myth: They’re not going to work that much longer anyway. It’s not cost-effective to invest in onboarding and training. Truth: Make no assumptions about retirement based on age. “The notion that those on the older end of the spectrum are at liberty to choose whether or not to retire feels almost quaint,” writes Applewhite. Economic necessity means many of us continue to work as long as we are physically able. Additionally, “Work we love can actually keep us alive,” Applewhite states, showing evidence of the social and mental benefits it confers. We are living longer and healthier, and speaking for myself, a life of playing cards and golf is not how I want to spend my years.

Myth: Older people don’t fit our culture. Truth: If your culture is only “people like us,” you are losing out on valuable perspectives that can super-charge the creativity, productivity, and leadership development within your organization. This “culture” criteria is a weasel way companies can get around hiring for all kinds of diversity, age included, and stay technically legal.

Culture does matter in another way, though. Unless diversity becomes part of the corporate culture, embraced from the top with practices and processes created to support equity and inclusion, you’re more likely to get conflict than collaboration. Hiring is just part of the picture. It often requires an overhaul of values and communication, which starts with mindset. As daunting as that sounds, it’s doable, with intention and training.

I have a certificate in Optimizing Diversity in Teams from the University of Pennsylvania, but I expect to be a lifelong learner as I live it and incorporate it into my work in communication. Learn about my Age-Diverse Communication group workshop series and other training using this link. Reach out to me to ask about the next one or to talk about your specific corporate or individual communication challenges. I’d love to help.

We’re all at different points on the age spectrum. Ageism sets us all up for marginalization, if we let it. Let’s do better.