Employing Older Workers: Strategies for Recruitment and Retention

The United States and Utah are currently undergoing the most dramatic demographic shift in recorded history. By the year 2020, the number of people 65+ is expected to double. This explosive age growth will impact every aspect of American society. Utah is also expected to experience an increase in its' aging population. By the year 2020, Utah's 65+ population is expected to double. With increasing costs of living, medical care and housing, many seniors will have to maintain or seek employment to meet their financial obligations. Currently, older workers are not accepted in the workforce. As employers find it more difficult to fill positions and the numbers of older adult's increases, it will become commonplace to find older workers being used in the workforce even though current stereotypes present many obstacles. Many employers do not understand the employee potential of the older worker cohort. The purpose of this master's project was to create an educational presentation about older workers that could be given to Wasatch Front employers by members of the Wasatch Front South Older Workers Advisory Council, as well as others around the state of Utah. The presentation provides employer's information on local and national aging demographics, older adults and their strengths and weaknesses, and how to recruit, hire, train and manage this older cohort. Twenty-six slides are provided to guide the presentation along with a brief description of the major points related to each slide. In addition to the presentation materials, is an annotated bibliography of six useful literature sources.