3 years ago, 2-time Oscar award winner Robert De Niro starred as an intern for a startup in the movie, ‘The Intern’. From just being an intern roped into a senior intern program, he became the boss’s best pal! His experience & years of insight & business acumen helps the young founder who is being forced to give up the reins to someone else.
Now, besides watching this beautiful movie, it is time that entrepreneurs give the idea of having senior employees a serious thought.
Age is not a burden, in fact, it’s a blessing!So what do Senior employees bring with them?
- Experience: Older employees have experienced shifts in the markets conditions, the impact of government changes, and other economic challenges. They can gauge such circumstances better. They also have a wide & deep network after spending years in the industry. Even at high government levels-this reach can help you. They can serve as mentors or subject-matter experts to the younger employees. Your younger employees may be highly-qualified, but there are some things that only experience can teach you.
- Knowledge & insight: An age-diverse workplace always has a healthy work environment. It will be a place for knowledge-sharing, fresh perspectives & diverse opinions.
- Loyalty is a great factor with senior employees. They are less likely to change jobs, like young employees who are forever seeking more pay.
- Tactful & confident: Their experience enables them to stay calm & level-headed during a crisis. They are very solution-driven, organised & their expertise helps encourage perseverance & pursue excellence. They are great motivators! So now that you know how valuable they are to a company, what are you going to do to retain them?
- Be inclusive: There is no place for ageism especially in the business world where experience & knowledge matter so much. Have policies & work structures that include senior employees wholeheartedly, change the policies if need be to make them feel included and integral to the company.
- Senior employees generally steer towards a healthy work-life balance and so working hours must be made flexible to incorporate timings convenient to them.
- Have training programs to induct them to new technologies & new work cultures. They will need to move along with changing technologies so some amount of reskilling is necessary.
Having senior employees in your company will be the best decision you ever make!
