Workers are retiring at an alarming rate from the workforce. With business going in a new direction with technology and advancing every day culturally with a global focus, there are many reasons why it can be hard to staff a small business. One underutilized resource from startups to long-standing companies are contractors and employees who are seasoned veterans with established work histories.
This so-called ‘greying’ the workforce is more than just adding knowledge, it is also adding a maturity that comes with having served in many capacities and being able to offer that back to a company without concern for some of the more costly benefits like insurance and big salaries.
Find out what the top five reasons are for hiring seasoned veterans and ways to encourage their connection to your company.
Money Matters
From payroll to account handling, a freelance accountant with years of experience is likely to come in ready to take the bull by the horns. They are not going to be worried about people-pleasing to go up the corporate ladder. Their goals will be crystal clear and sharply in focus. Having them serve as a tax advisor for day-to-day and year-end accounting can be helpful when it comes to serving the company’s financial best interests.
Marketing
From branding to collateral, advertising matters to companies. When a person with decades of ad agency experiences comes on board, they won’t need much hand holding to get down to brass tacks. Even with a social media expert, they can post status updates, but can they strategically set you up with a campaign that is going to use the full extent of your marketing capacities to deliver the goods is the key question. Hiring a seasoned contractor in this regard is really a no-brainer.
Personnel Files
Every company would benefit from having a fitted out, fully established HR department, complete with a head HR manager who is taking care of business. When startups or small businesses are running low on cash (which is most of the time, at least early on), the leanest, meanest way to create a solid, strategic personnel plan is to hire a seasoned pro. An experience staffing professional that just wants to work because they love it will bring confidence and assurance, they can find the right people to build up your company. If they are up-to-date on all the screening, recruiting, and hiring practices, you are in good company with solid, seasoned pro at the helm.
Research Power
From market trends to current technological advances for companies, an outsourced business specialist can serve as a great resource for your company. With the right data, your outsourced professional can bring all the knowledge and information together to inform decisions and create strategies. The goal is not to confuse knowledge with being the best thing a person has to offer. They can take that knowledge and spin it into an analysis that works for making good decisions based on years of understanding market trends and data, not just what’s hot now.
C-Suite
A c-suite exec may be looking to serve in that role as a retired professional because they have nothing to lose now. They have likely made the money they want to make and are in a comfortable space in life, they get to choose and call the shots on their work now. As an independent contractor, they can hire out services as needed and consult with small businesses, for instance, who need short-term growth support, or help with challenges, but are not looking for a lifetime hire.
Retirees are an unusual pool of candidates but are growing in popularity for contract work. They quite often have illustrious careers, have won awards, maybe even owned and sold businesses. In retirement, they crave the same goals with the same ambition as before but feel they don’t want the pressure of full-time work. With their active lifestyles, they are more likely to contribute positive energy and enthusiasm to their work, along with a deep breadth of knowledge, a small business or company is unlikely to retain long-term. Short term, or contract, it works well to consider hiring retirees to support the goals of the business now and in the future.
Read more relevant blog post: Top Reasons to Start a Business Blog