Seniors jockeying for space in the work force

By BIL PAUL, Daily News
Thursday, March 15, 2007

On most mornings when I'm out walking, I pass an elderly woman setting a good pace with her walker. Recently I was surprised to find her training as a checkout clerk in a nearby chain store. I appreciated the store giving her a job, but wondered how well she'd do considering her mobility limitations and age. Later, she hinted that she was worried about keeping the job because managers told her she sometimes pushed the wrong buttons on the cash register. She's no longer there.

Such are the dilemmas of seniors in the workplace. Some stores, such as Office Depot, Home Depot, Orchard Supply Hardware and Wal-Mart, are well-known for hiring those over 60, while on the other end of the spectrum, Google is known for hiring the young.

Whatever the case, people are staying healthy and mentally vital longer, and many choose to work longer than before just to stay busy or because they actually need the money.

There's no doubt that people over 55 or 60 offer some advantages over those between 18 and 35. I had earlier assumed older workers would be less loyal toward their employers, but a Harris poll says just the reverse, finding seniors between 10 and 22 percent more likely to have positive attitudes toward their workplace.

A recent Wall Street Journal article acknowledges that as we age, our brains do change. Typically, short-term memory lessens and it's harder to switch attention quickly and multitask. However, other brain functions become better because of more stored knowledge and greater experience in handling a variety of tasks. Seniors find it easier to zero in on what's important and disregard "clutter." They're a better judge of character and less affected by the disruptive emotions of sadness, jealousy, anger and hate, validating the notion that older people mellow out.

Despite the sad story that opened the column, I have several acquaintances who, due to very specific talents, worked well into their 60s. The first was a senior network engineer for a financial company who took a nice retirement at age 53. However, friends at the company kept hinting they wanted him back. When he decided he needed more money to tide him over until he could start getting Social Security checks, he returned to work again as a regular employee and was promoted to a position strategizing international business.

Another man worked in local and federal government for 37 years in the field of child welfare, retiring at 65. However his inside knowledge of how "the system" worked enabled him to work five more years as a consultant to nonprofits, helping them develop new approaches to runaway kids and to apply for funding. "By using me," he said, "they had a 100 percent success rate in getting funds."

But many workers getting on in years don't have the level of expertise these men do, and the job hunt can be difficult and fraught with discrimination due to age-related stereotypes. At a recent job fair at the San Mateo Expo Center, I introduced myself to all the senior job hunters I encountered (all were women) and asked for interviews. Curiously, nearly all said they were 59, as though crossing over the border into 60-land was a no-no. One said a lot of games are played with resumes to try to disguise one's age. Another, 56, said she already has a part-time job with a relative but is seeking more temp work for the variety it offers. She recognizes that if it's her versus a younger person for a temp job, the younger one is likely to win out. Nonetheless, as a published writer speaking three languages, she said, laughing, "Any company that employs me is privileged!"

Several columns ago, I wrote about those just out of college entering the work force as interns or in entry-level jobs. From their perspective, they often feel that those in their 50s and 60s in their companies are unfairly overpaid (and enjoy the longest vacations) for reasons of seniority alone. They often see seniors as lacking innovation and drive, and not willing enough to embrace the latest technologies and changes in the marketplace.

Valerie Frederickson, founder and CEO of an HR executive search and consulting firm in Menlo Park, advises against trying to disguise one's age on a resume. What employers are looking for, she said, are energy, maturity, teamwork and a solid work ethic. "Be fun to be around," she advised. Frederickson also recommends being willing to get more training and to change careers after seeing where the most jobs are.

Susan Houston, director of senior services at the nonprofit Family Services Agency in San Mateo, said the most openings for seniors right now are in the areas of retail, food service, clerical and health care. She also noted that many seniors form their own companies or are self-employed.

Houston advised that certain key words in employment ads such as "fast-paced environment" signal that companies are looking for younger people.

It's tempting for companies to try to jettison their older employees en masse, but there are laws against targeting such groups. AARP lawyer Laurie McCann described being involved in a case against the 3M company in Minnesota, which used forced ranking (similar to teachers arbitrarily grading on the curve) to select employees for a leadership fast track. Some older workers felt their performance was unfairly downgraded to deprive them of this opportunity and perhaps even to hasten their departure from the company.

In 1997, the Loral aerospace company was sued for an age discrimination firing. Loral admitted to methodically letting employees go based on their high salaries, but denied it had anything to do with age, and won in court. As a result, laws were passed in California to eliminate this loophole.

If this column seems reminiscent of the relationships between parents and their children - the whole intergenerational thing - it's true. The workplace can be a whole lot happier if stereotypes are thrown aside, and people looked at not in terms of wrinkles, but in terms of talents and the ability to have pleasant, respectful relationships. Let's not "Soylent Green" those in their 50s, 60s and even 70s.