Some hiring managers are setting their sights on older employees rather than younger ones due to a difference in work ethic, The Wall Street Journal reported April 6.
A survey of American values by the Journal and NORC at the University of Chicago found that three-quarters of people over age 65 said hard work is important to them. Sixty one percent of 18 to 29 year olds said the same.
"With the economy slowing down, companies need fewer people and need the people who are there to be OK with working hard," said Johnny Taylor Jr., chief executive of the Society for Human Resource Management. "Instead of trying to convince younger generations to be something different, some companies are saying, 'Why don't we just go hire people who are naturally predisposed to work harder?'"
Younger employees tend to arrive late for shifts and call out of work often, some organizations told the Journal. In their experience, older workers are more willing to work opening and closing shifts and be on-call as needed. Older workers are also more likely to value job stability — an extra perk for companies that value retention.
There are plenty of older workers to choose from, too. People aged 55 and older are re-joining the workforce faster than other age groups — inflation leaves some with no choice.