A while back I shared some thoughts on relating to young employees. The other side of that coin is that more and more seniors are either staying in or reentering the labor market. What do you need to know about training and integrating them into your organization? These tips will help you gain the maximum benefit from having these older workers on your team:
• Get rid of your own stereotypes. Older people are not automatically senile, stubborn and set in their ways—in fact, many actually “get it” faster than their younger counterparts.
• Don’t teach them what they already know. Though many seniors, particularly women, are entering the workplace for the first time, the majority have years of experience. They have a lot of the basic jobs skills, such as getting to work on time, treating customers and others respectfully, trying to do a good job. You don’t need to teach them those things.
• Give them the time they need to learn. Older people may need more time, often up to twice as long, to learn a new task or skill, but with that additional time, they can learn to perform new tasks with fewer mistakes than younger workers. Of course, like all people, mature adults learn at different rates; if possible, implement a self-paced program.
• Create an effective learning environment. Senses, particularly sight and hearing, tend to dim with age. Be sure your training facility has adequate lighting and good acoustics, and that background noise is kept to a minimum. The trainer should check at the beginning of each session to make sure everyone can hear. Visual aids should have large, easy-to-read print with high contrast colors, and should not be posted above eye level, because many older people wearing bifocals have difficulty looking up to read. Most older workers prefer sitting in groups around a table rather than in a traditional classroom or theater-style setting. And be sure to provide frequent breaks for using rest rooms or just moving around.
• Don’t assume seniors will resist change and technology. Increasing numbers of seniors have personal computers at home and are comfortable using the internet. Also, many older workers appear inflexible when in fact they are lacking in confidence, and with training, will quickly become more adaptable and accepting of new technology.
For assistance with training seniors, or to find seniors who have completed various educational programs, contact your local area agency on aging, your public school system’s adult education department, or local senior citizens centers.
Comments