As an employer, you've been bombarded with lots of information on how to attract Gen X and Y workers and incorporate them into the workforce. Not as much attention is being paid to effective onboarding for Boomers and other older new hires. However, since the 55+ age group is the most rapidly growing demographic in the U.S. and most of these people plan to continue working, they make up a huge talent pool. While you are revamping your recruiting and hiring process to make it more relevant to younger employees, it's important to ensure that it is still friendly to older workers. Here are a few areas to review:
Be Straightforward in Communication
Mature individuals have been around the block with more than one employer and won't be impressed with fantastic promises. They want information that is presented clearly, accurately, and believably. Leave the hype out of your recruiting spiel with these applicants and focus on what's important to them. Make sure the introduction to your company includes an emphasis on values that resonate with this age group - integrity, quality, loyalty, etc. Be prepared to back up these statements with a track record for being a trustworthy employer.
Provide Loads of Information
Older new hires should be offered lots of additional resources during onboarding that focus on getting the most out of health benefits, retirement planning, disability coverage, and life insurance. Senior citizens in particular actually read this stuff. They are past the point where they think they have all the time in the world to make the right decisions about these benefits.
Introduce Older Workers to New Technology Gently
If your acculturation program focuses heavily on the use of social networking and other modern technologies, don't assume older employees won't be interested in participating. Just be sure your onboarding module includes detailed instructions for how to use these tools instead of assuming that "Everyone knows how to use FaceBook and this is no different".
Prevent Intergenerational Conflict
For older workers who will be reporting to a younger supervisor, orientation should include a Q&A that focuses on how this age difference impacts the boss/employee relationship. Getting awkwardness out in the open where it can be dealt with is important.
The AllegroHR Acculturation Portal can assist you in making it easier to onboard older workers by providing:
- A live chat feature that connects new hires to HR when they have questions about their benefits
- The ability to link to news articles and awards to highlight the company's commitment to its workforce
- Connection to training partners who can bring employees up to speed with the use of new technology as needed
The ability to track and analyze acculturation onboarding to make sure it is effective and highlight areas where older workers are not engaging fully
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