33 2007-5-16 10:04 AM
Talented Boomers are becoming inspired instead of retired
Stop for a second and think about the Baby-Boom generation. They currently occupy positions in many organizations and have a work-production characterized by talent, efficiency and experience. They’ve not wet-behind the ears anymore, and they perform their duties with diligence and confidence. When they’re not looking for a job, we often call them [url=http://www.itzbigblog.com/657/what-puts-the-quiet-in-quiet-working-professionals/][b][color=#777795]Quiet Working Professionals[/color][/b][/url]. However, what about the ones who [i]are[/i] looking for a job? Whether you know it or not, a growing number of Boomers are realizing that it’s never too late for a change, and to recruiters, they may just be the biggest assets out there.
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Think it’s just the younger generation who keeps their eyes on opportunities for job changes? Well, think again. Boomers are realizing that the War for Talent puts them in a good bargaining position for changing jobs, and that demographic could potentially include [i]all[/i] of the Boomers. In the most recent edition of [url=http://www.itzbigblog.com/673/talented-boomers-are-becoming-inspired-instead-of-retired/][b][color=#777795]The Recruiter’s Lounge[/color][/b][/url], Jim Stroud’s guest was Bob Skladany, Vice President of Research and Certification for Retirementjobs.com. Skladany is a 40+ year veteran in HR management and consulting, and says that even late-career or retirement-age Boomers are still desirable talent. His firm’s research indicates thatl.Yy+s2?*kx-c
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[indent]“job opportunities for workers age 50 [are] going to have to become a far more orderly market despite the presence of age discrimination and perceptions held by workers 50 and older about the difficulty of finding work.”%?T d(Got
[/indent]While he thinks there will be little significant change in retirement law in the next 10 to 15 years, Skladany argues that since people are living longer and expenditures related to age - like Social Security and health-care - are increasing, we will see an increasing acceptance of older workers in the workplace in the near future. That echoes what we’ve said on this blog about [url=http://www.itzbigblog.com/667/maturing-employees-could-be-your-solution-to-the-war-for-talent/][b][color=#777795]the increasing worth[/color][/b][/url] of Boomers willing to pull the job-change trigger.
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Similarly, Bob Gunn, co-founder of Accompli, a change leadership advisory firm, says his firm’s research recently found that “most executives are either tapped for the job or throw their hat in the ring, often mid-to-late in their career.” He’s quoted on [url=http://www.myglobalcareer.com/archives/2007/05/14/change-agents-%e2%80%93-its-a-risky-career-move/][b][color=#777795]My Global Career[/color][/b][/url], and author Rusty Weston goes on to say thatv)ZS-Bc
[indent]“mid-50s executives will [often] ‘parachute’ into another company knowing that they aren’t going to climb any higher in the company but that the change role is open to them.”'A2L F
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[/indent]The point here is that a job/career change can make Boomers a hot commodity in the near future of the recruiting world. However, it’s going to take a special kind of recruiting tool to attract them. We think our new network is the right tool, and we think you’re going to want to [url=http://www.itzbig.com/blog_main.html][b][color=#777795]get in on the ground floor[/color][/b][/url]. By creating accurate matches between needs and skilled candidates, our network can put Boomers in a position to turn their Plan A job into a Plan Z job, a change of pace that will be the shining end to a successful career. Maybe they’ll want to move from a big, corporate environment into the excitement of a startup. Maybe they’ll want to move from private practice into the stability of a large business. Whatever the case, recruiters are going to want to be in a position to connect with these Late Boomers and help them find the opportunities they want.