Many seniors are concerned about their access to finances once they have retired, especially with the current state of the economy. With this in mind, it should come us no surprise that older adults would like to continue working past retirement age.

There can be a negative stigma regarding employing seniors; with declining cognitive skills the process of training and learning new skills may take longer, and they may not have the same physical strength as a younger person when it is required for a job. According to the AARP, over the past 35 years, jobs have not required the same level of cognitive and physical skills; however, they predict that in the next 35 the job requirements will increase, making it more difficult for a senior to successfully perform in a job if they have physical and cognitive limitations.

There are also many proven benefits of choosing to hire a senior; naturally they have many years of experience under their belt, they also demonstrate a strong work ethic and exercise more perseverance and dependability. According to the AARP, this not only makes them an asset to an organization, their drive also sets a good example for younger employees. It’s also been proven that they have stronger motivation to exceed job expectations, have more loyalty and are less likely to leave a satisfying job, and have great customer service skills since communication and abilities to relate to others often increase with age.

So, with two opposing views on older adult employment to consider; seniors who would like to remain in the job market should follow their career aspirations and make a good impression.

Sources: http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/inb151_work.pdf
               http://www.businessknowhow.com/manage/hire-seniors.htm