In a world of up-and-coming Gen Z and millennial employees hungry to secure a job in the healthcare industry, it's important to not overlook older generations who can often bring that "older and wiser" work ethic to the table when going through the hiring process.
In fact, research shows that American workers are becoming older and more diverse in the workforce.
A recent report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that in 2023, workers ages 55 to 59 and ages 60 to 64 surpassed the labor force participation rates from 2019. Another study by Fidelity Investments' State of Retirement Planning found that around two-thirds of respondents would prefer a phased retirement, not an abrupt one, with 57% wanting to continue work at least part time in their retirement.
Bottom line, older people are eager and ready to work.
"One of the greatest areas of value that experienced workers bring is knowledge, particularly in workplace culture, professional standards and navigating corporate politics," Laura Barnett, senior recruiter at Hancock Health in Greenfield, Ind., told Becker's.
Hancock Health comprises Hancock Regional Hospital in Greenfield and more than 30 other locations. It also has more than 70 providers, according to its website.
Of the health system's employees, 15.3% are from the baby boomer generation, 32.9% are Gen X, 37.8% are millennials, and 13.7% are Gen Z, Ms. Barnett told Becker's.
"While age is not a factor in the hiring process, the best talent teams will continually seek qualified candidates from underrepresented pools of talent and build relationships that lead to more opportunities to connect with these workers," Ms. Barnett said.
Unity Physicians Hospital in Mishawaka, Ind., also finds value in a diverse age group of employees, with 29 workers from the baby boomer generation, 61 Gen X, 58 millennials, and 12 Gen Z.
While some of the challenges faced when hiring an older worker include ensuring a willingness to learn new things or improving technology skills, Shawna Makielski, director of human resources at Unity Physicians, told Becker's older employees often bring knowledge, experience, manageable expectations, maturity, and stability to a workplace. Essentially, age is just a number, she said.
"If they have the experience, a decent work record, and the qualifications needed, we will interview them," Ms. Makielski said. "Do they have the knowledge, work well with others, can meet the job requirements and expectations, days and hours workable, are they flexible, and would they like to shadow? Those are all part of the process."
Both Ms. Makielski and Ms. Barnett are proud of the hiring processes at both of their organizations.
At Hancock Health, the certified clinical medical assistant program frequently enrolls students who are looking to begin a second career or redevelop some skills after being laid off.
"We've seen success in hiring graduates from this program and often find that they bring a thoughtful perspective to the workplace from experience gained in other fields," Ms. Barnett said. "Embracing fresh points of view and gaining new eyes on old problems has a tangible return on investment for the business as we continue to grow and expand rapidly."