Aiming at the Wrong Target - What’s Holding Employers Back When It Comes to Older Workers?

Employers should target “flexible employment”, not “phased retirement”. Nearly 20 years ago, Wharton professor Peter Cappelli challenged the trendy belief that Baby Boomer (born 1946 – 1964) retirements would trigger a labor shortage. 

He disagreed: “… employers should focus on developing competencies in recruiting and selection, performance management, retention policies, and other practices ... to find and keep good workers….” 

However, few employers changed their hiring practices. Most remain wary of benefit cost concerns and America’s 50+ year focus on age discrimination - which, combined, create structural barriers that deter adoption of formal HR/flexible employment policies. Such concerns also impede continued employment among skilled older workers. The session will highlight some options available today for securing highly experienced talent, as well as code/regulatory changes which will facilitate flexible employment/phased retirement, tomorrow.