It’s no secret that one of the biggest problems looming on the hiring-horizon is the war on talent. There are simply too few young workers (millenials/Gen’s X and Y) to fill the estimated vacancies created as the Baby Boomers retire, and as Frank Mulligan points out on his blog, the problem is a global one. Employers are also concerned that the quality of incoming talent may not be on par with that of existing employees. If only there was some way to make better use of existing talent to mitigate some of the HR pain-points. Oh wait, there is: recruit, hire and retain Boomers while they’re still willing to work.

“Sure,” you say, “but how long will we be able to employ Boomers?” Maybe for longer than you think. Sharon Adams, on Ontario’s Business Edge, says that “raising the employment rate for older workers is critical to soften the blow of a shrinking labour force.” Citing a 2006 Merrill Lynch New Retirement Study of 1000 companies, she says that “more companies are developing recruitment strategies for hiring young employees than are looking for ways to retain and attract older workers.” This gives companies who are willing and able to attract experienced employees a significant advantage.

Here at itzbig, that reminds us of the scene in Monty Python’s The Holy Grail where John Cleese tries to put an older man on the plague cart. The man keeps saying, “I’m not dead yet!” while Cleese insists that he will be shortly. Sometimes, it seems that the hiring world is insisting that Boomers are on their way out, while Boomers are saying, “I’m not ready to retire just yet!” Meanwhile, some members of the younger generation aren’t necessarily in a hurry to jump right onto a career path, according to Brett Farmiloe in his guest post on Employee Evolution. That means that recruiters and HR departments better develop strategies for placing Boomers if businesses are going to keep their doors open.

The quality of mature talent is one of the reasons Quiet Working Professionals are so desirable. They’ve already demonstrated their stability, loyalty and skill; recruiters just have to have the right tools in place to attract them. However, everybody should keep their eyes on Boomers who are implementing Plan B (or C or D). The fact that more and more mature workers are becoming active candidates (often instead of retiring) should create fertile ground for recruiters. Whether active, passive or Quiet Working Professionals, mature employees still have a lot to offer the business world, especially in the ongoing War for Talent.

Be sure to check future posts for a more thorough examination of Plan B.

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