The best workers I have in my business are over 70.The younger kids are undependable and don’t want to learn the skills I need.
my ex-employer got rid of me after 18 years of service. They out sourced my job{ I was warehouseman, chief driver, and installer} to save money.
Companies today demand loyality but are unwilling to give it to the people that made them big.
If you don't mind my asking, what skills do you need?
I have been considering encouraging my 12-year-old son to take up an interest in modelmaking, tool-and-die work, and machining. I figure that if he can get some skills and a modicum of experience in those areas, not to mention the habits of responsibility and a strong work ethic, by the time he's 30 he'll be worth his weight in gold to somebody...
And I don't say that idly, either. He's smart enough to pursue whatever he chooses, including the toughest of universities.
Many of them are the best. But my experience is that they are the least willing to embrace new technology. This is true even if they have a computer at home. It’s almost like they see no reason to learn.
Of course they don't, there is no road to promotion or advancement with the top layer full.
Then when the oldsters die, your business dies. Good plan. It's a self limiting problem--the boomers won't live forever, or hopefully not much longer.
A CFO of a large business told me the same thing the other day.
Out of curiousity, what skills do you need and what's the nature of your business?
best are over 70 ? what are the younger kids..in their 50’s ?
Yes, and over 50. It is so obvious all over the place. Why don’t the people who hire realize this?
I personally agree with you yet ........
I see upper level managers dumping older employees due the simple fact they are drawing higher pay due tenure, more vacation and with older age comes more days off for medical in some cases.
This is the trend in a environment where standards are set and a product is cut and dry without innovation or thinking outside of the box. Cookie cutter industry for a goobermint end product can afford to dump experience and go for the cheap new college grad engineer looking for first paycheck.
Now where new and better and design is key you are correct as to “those” employers keeping the old and trusty / crusty get err done sorts vs the what are you going to do for me crowd.
The older I get the more I think I better just go to work every day. I don’t think it’s a good idea to job hop any more. It’s just good to have a job and the alternative is abhorrent. Maybe that’s why older workers are better. We know we’re not bulletproof and indispensible like we thought when we were younger. Also, we have more to lose and far less time to start over. I’m in my late forties, and I figure I got one last good career push left in me so I started grad school this fall. I’m starting to wonder what I got myself into.