Senior employees are one of the greatest assets for any business or organization. With years or even decades of knowledge and experience, older workers perform tasks quickly and efficiently, making replacing them with new employees increasingly challenging. But what if you didn’t have to replace them? Delaying retirement or retaining employees post-retirement provides time for your business to transfer critical knowledge to newer, less experienced employees and keep the business running smoothly. Check out these tips to help you start the process.
Retaining Employees Post-Retirement with Flexible Schedule Opportunities
There are several ways your company can entice employees to continue working post-retirement, including a flexible schedule. Offering the freedom to work a reduced schedule can mean the difference between keeping an older worker on the job and watching them walk out the door. Consider allowing retirees to work on assignments of their choosing while also providing opportunities to work on time-limited projects. Even in a reduced role, maintaining the expertise of senior employees is a boon for your business and fellow team members.
Retaining Employees Post-Retirement with More Appealing Benefits
It’s no secret that offering great benefits is one of the most successful ways to attract new talent to your company. The same principle applies to retaining employees considering retirement. But, employee benefits that keep employees are not necessarily the same as those that attract new employees. So it’s essential to offer a variety of options and allow workers to choose the ones they want. Comprehensive healthcare benefits, elder care support, gym memberships, and child care for grandchildren are just a few of the benefits that could appeal to your senior employees.
Retaining Employees Post-Retirement with Mentorship Opportunities
Offering mentorship opportunities between retirees and younger employees keeps them engaged with your organization and proves how valuable they are to your business and team. It’s also an easy way to transfer essential knowledge from retirees to the next generation of workers for your business. There may also be opportunities to flip the script and have younger employees share knowledge with retirees. From new methods, tools, and processes for getting the job done to technical guidance and tips for using social media platforms, there’s no shortage of compelling new ideas and practices to be shared among team members.
Retaining Employees Post-Retirement with Continued Education Training
Don’t let false stereotypes prevent you from offering additional training and education for your older employees. Contrary to the old saying, you can teach an old dog new tricks. As a matter of fact, ongoing learning opportunities are a great way to maintain engagement with employees nearing retirement. Investing in experienced employees brings continued value to your business. Not sure where to start? Consider asking your more senior employees to submit areas or fields of interest for continued educational opportunities. They gain new skills or knowledge to implement for your business. You gain a rejuvenated employee with a renewed sense of pride for your organization.
Find Out More About Gentry Can Help Your Business With Retaining Employees Post-Retirement
As more senior workers retire, they often take a lifetime of domain knowledge and skills when they leave. Gentry Professional Services specializes in placing these subject matter experts with clients requiring specific knowledge and experience. While these retirees often want to continue working part-time, most employers do not offer a phased retirement plan. Our approach allows them to fully retire before joining the Gentry Professional Services team. This means they can enjoy working on their terms when consulting on projects, often at their previous organizations.
