The Value of Doing Business with Seniors

In our current world, for quite a while now, we have understood the value of young people in business. People often speak about Millennials and their positive and negative attributes. The truth is that there is a significant number of young people in business and, at times, you get the sense that everyone else takes a backseat to them. However, it is time to understand the value of older people in business and what can be gleaned from them.

The many positive qualities of older people in business

If you are a business owner (or a business person), you probably work with people from several different demographics. That means that you work with people of all ethnic groups and from all different age groups. Our focus in this article is going to be on older people and why it is so intelligent to choose to work with them. The fact is that they have many positive qualities and a great deal of value that you won’t find in other people.

If you are thinking that older people are not with it in the same way that young people are, think again. Clearly, you would choose to work with anyone who doesn’t have a sharp mind. That certainly applies to all people, not just people in a certain age group.

• A vast amount of experience and knowledge: One of the first (and most obvious) reasons to hire an older person is that they have so much valuable knowledge and experience to share with you. If you are concerned that they will not be comfortable with technology, it is unfair of you to assume that. In fact, many older people are very comfortable with technology. Whatever you need them to know, if they don’t know it already, you can teach them. Just remember to be patient. That patience will take you very far and will definitely prove to be your friend.

• Older people are generally content: In general, older people are usually appreciative of all that they have. They understand the value of hard work and the process that occurred to get them from Point A to Point B. Older people possess valuable insight that younger people often do not have the maturity to understand. If you are considering hiring an older individual, the chances are really good that he or she has many marketable skills from when that person worked in his or her chosen career. It probably delights the person to be able to apply that knowledge and those skills when working with you. It is a win-win situation.

• Older people are not trying to climb the ladder of success: As is typically the case (which is totally understandable), young people usually don’t stay in one company for more than a handful of years. They are too interested in advancing their careers so they make frequent moves to achieve that. On the other hand, older people are not going to be nearly as interested in going anywhere, which means that you can count on them being loyal to your business. 

• Older people are not as emotionally insecure: Young people are unsure of themselves (in many cases) because they have not gained maturity yet. Older people are not needs because they have already had many of the experiences that younger people have yet to encounter. That makes the older person confident and secure. They don’t need the same level of emotional support that younger people need. Their confidence is found within themselves.

• Older people are not as interested in being promoted: In a business environment in which the majority of people are young, those people are often extremely interested in acquiring the position of their boss. Older people are content to stay where they are, do the best job that they can possibly do, and go home at the end of the day with a feeling of satisfaction and a sense that their contribution to the business is solid. Young people are often not satisfied with their work and their contribution.

• Older people aren’t generally working for the benefits: Most young people have benefits at the top of their priority list if asked why they are working. Older people don’t have that need. If they are over 65 years old, they have Medicare. Also, if they are that age, they are also collecting Social Security, most likely. There is a definite difference in a person’s attitude if they are working because they want to versus if they have to.

• Older people have acquired invaluable wisdom: Because of all of the years of experience and knowledge, older people are infinitely wiser than younger people. That is not to say that they are necessarily more intelligent than younger people. It is just that life and many years of work have taught them all sorts of valuable things that younger people still need to learn.

• Other valuable qualities: There are many other positive qualities that can be discussed when it comes to older people, such as the fact that they are dedicated to their work and will always try to do the best job possible, are punctual, are honest, and  pay close attention to details, are focused, and truly listen.

Conclusion

There are many wonderful reasons to hire older people. The truth is that no matter what your age, you can still learn something and each person, no matter his or her age, has the potential to learn a great deal from others. If you diversify the list of people with whom you work, you will improve the quality of your offerings and your brand. It shouldn’t be a difficult decision to make. In fact, it is probably one of the easiest ones that you will ever make for your business.

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