Does this mean that we will turn into a country of pensioners complaining about pensioners? not necessarily. It will be ruled by a generation of energetic “young old people”, conscious consumers and people who want to make their dreams come true – Silver. They will also govern the labor market. At this point, more and more companies are looking for employees. why? Silversi has a number of competencies that only the younger generations can envy. What do they gain with 20 or 30 years? What professions can people over 50 who are looking for new challenges find themselves in?
When debates swept over baby boomers, millennials, and media oil, is everyone now focused on silver? Who is this? These are people 50 years of age or older. They often have a well-established private life – their own four corners, raising children, and therefore more time for hobbies, to make dreams come true and to do what they could not afford twenty years ago. Silver is also said to be the “best old people” because they are well educated, loyal, motivated and, paradoxically, often healthier than younger generations. Gray hair (hence the name – silver) is not the only feature that connects them. Silversi are professionally active people who do not think about retirement.
The motivations of these people to stay in the labor market vary. Some silver people are people who have only recently discovered what they want in life. After many years of working in one place, they decide to completely change their profession or just now find time to learn and acquire new skills, thanks to which they acquire a profession in their fifties. In our country there are also people who want to stay in the labor market as long as possible, because they know that for financial reasons they cannot afford to retire quickly. These are ambitious individuals who want to compete with the younger generations and they do so well. We should also mention those who thought early retirement was what they wanted, but soon found out that they were tired of it.
No wonder – the 50- or 60-year-old has a very different approach to life and possibilities than his counterpart two or three decades ago – comments Agnieszka Surowiec, Director of Human Resources and Communications at Intrum.
Regardless of the above groups they belong to, not all silver is aware of its advantages in the job market and the advantages it can offer to current or future employers.
1. Experience
Assuming you entered the job market in your second decade of life, you already have at least thirty years of professional experience behind you. This is an invaluable value to the employee, for which the younger generation continues to work. Long experience in the labor market means not only the practical knowledge gained over the years, but also the possession of the qualities and skills that are required in each employee, and the young ones still need to learn them. Goes, among others o: consistency in work, ability to organize working time, self-control, that is, not to give in to unnecessary emotions and rational assessment of crisis situations.
As an experienced employee in your career, you have certainly faced many stressful situations. You know how to respond to it so that your responsibilities are not affected. In the team, you can be someone who relieves stress and has a positive impact on others. Consider how many young employees you have successfully put into service?
Emotional intelligence is your strength! As a mature person who has faced many challenges, you don’t “burn out” emotionally so quickly and you don’t lose energy when you fail because you know it’s a natural part of the job. You are sympathetic and understanding.
2. Responsibility
Unfortunately, it often happens that representatives of younger generations, people who have just finished their studies and are just looking for their own path, treat their first and subsequent jobs as temporary. They become a “stepping stone” to other stages of the career. There’s nothing wrong with that, and what’s more – it’s sometimes the only way to know what we want to do in life. However, employers look at this issue differently, often spending a lot of time and money to train and perform the duties of young, inexperienced employees. As Silver – a mature employee – you are already behind in building such a professional identity. Thus, choosing an employer is more in-depth in your case. If you are looking for a new job after the age of 50 or 60, this is a signal to the employer that you want to work. With such an employee, the business owner can constantly build the value of his brand.
It is not only about the appropriate approach to the employer and his needs, but also the performance of the duties themselves. You have extensive experience in the labor market, so you probably know the consequences of failing to complete the assigned tasks. Early in your career, this probably happened more than once, right? You have not made such mistakes for a long time. An additional advantage for you.
3. Commitment
A stable family life, adult children, no less homework, good organization – all this gives silver the best conditions for full participation in their duties. Could this be true of all Generation Z workers, or even millennials? Not necessarily… Young people are more willing to learn new things, they want to gain new qualifications and because of their age they are better prepared to do so. This is correct. But open-headed silver, in addition to friends who have new technologies, also want to evolve! In order to achieve this goal, they are not “distracted” by the need to combine professional work with studies, care for youth, that is, demanding children, etc. Silver knows nothing, you don’t know? Employer, give him a moment and he will surprise you!
The competencies of more than 50 employees were also estimated by the participants of the survey conducted by Pracuj.pl. They cited the many advantages of silverware, mentioning above all: a high level of work (58%), openness and willingness to share knowledge and experience with younger employees (57%), and high loyalty to current employers (54%).
Demographic changes have also brought about changes in the labor market. Fortunately, the times when only people over 50 were offered positions such as porter or cleaner, which did not meet the aspirations of most of them, are thankfully gone. Today, employers are looking for employees in this age group – specialists with specific qualifications.
In which industries are silver efficiencies sought? in every! Younger seniors face fewer and fewer restrictions on their way and are met with appreciation. However, the competencies and special qualities of Silver, such as: commitment, responsibility, restraint, patience and empathy, certainly pay off in the case of situations that require contact with another person, with clients. This has been noticed by recruiters who are looking for candidates for front desk jobs, in direct customer service, and also in any call center.
Our experience shows that people of the Silver Generation have excellent tendencies in the field of so-called soft skills. They feel emotions perfectly and can listen. This is not only due to their professional experience but also to their own experience. They are employees of fathers, often grandparents. All of this is of great importance when it comes to showing an empathic attitude. And empathy in the case of a company like ours is by far the most preferred feature of the candidates, especially when it comes to people who work in our call center. We contact people in debt on a daily basis and our job is to support them on their way out of debt. Consumers tell us about their plays, often confiding in their serious problems. You have to react appropriately to such situations. That’s why we’re happy to invite people “over 50” to work on our team, whose composure and empathy in the search for solutions have a good impact on indebted consumers who contact us – confirms Kamil Kozowski, HR Business Partner at Intrum in Wrocław .
Orientation of job offers to silver also results from the company’s policy: – We operate according to the principle of sustainability. Development. In addition to reducing our negative impact on the environment, sharing our knowledge and helping indebted businesses and consumers, we also care about the sustainable building of our team, as well as in terms of the lifespan of our employees. The competencies and skills of young people, immediately after graduation and at the beginning of their career, as well as experienced silversmiths perfectly complement each other. These groups learn from each other, which is what the whole company benefits from – adds Kamil Kozłowski. (…)
Employees over 50 now account for about 15 percent. All employees of our country. Combined with the inevitable demographic changes, they will soon become an important group in our society, as well as in the job market.
Echo Richards embodies a personality that is a delightful contradiction: a humble musicaholic who never brags about her expansive knowledge of both classic and contemporary tunes. Infuriatingly modest, one would never know from a mere conversation how deeply entrenched she is in the world of music. This passion seamlessly translates into her problem-solving skills, with Echo often drawing inspiration from melodies and rhythms. A voracious reader, she dives deep into literature, using stories to influence her own hardcore writing. Her spirited advocacy for alcohol isn’t about mere indulgence, but about celebrating life’s poignant moments.
