Experience, maturity and a well-developed work ethic—these are just some of the reasons why mature workers make great employees.
Employers stand to benefit greatly from mature workers who are willing to share what they’ve learned during their careers. Additionally, these workers exhibit a variety of other characteristics unique to their age group, making them valuable assets to businesses. Whether they are employed full-time or are needed as temporary staffing for a business.
Singapore’s Mature Workforce
Singapore’s businesses and employment agencies should leverage on mature workers’ unique capabilities as they continue to grow in the workforce.
The employment rate for local residents aged 55 to 64 hit a high of 67.3% in June 2016. The Straits Times reported that about four in 10 of over 11,000 job seekers placed by career centres were aged 50 and above, in the first three quarters of 2016.
Recognizing this trend, Singapore’s government passed the Retirement and Re-employment (Amendment) Bill 2016, which took effect in July this year. The Bill rose the re-employment age from 65 to 67, which Minister of State for Manpower, Sam Tan, says helps mature workers who wish and are able to continue working.
Under the bill, an employer who is unable to offer a mature worker a suitable position in his own organisation, can pass his re-employment obligations on to another employer. The worker in question must be amenable to the transfer, and the second employer must consent to take on the obligations being transferred.
Support for Enterprises Engaging Mature Employees
As MPs keep a careful eye on the bill’s implementation to make sure it is not abused, the government does provide support for employers who engage mature workers. The Special Employment Credit or SEC, for instance, offsets a percentage of monthly wages for Singaporean employees ages 55 and up.
Also in effect since July 2017, the Tripartite Guidelines on the Re-employment of Older Employees were designed to help both employers and mature employees.
Business owners are assured of continued government support for hiring mature workers with efforts such as wage subsidies, as provided for in the Singapore Budget 2017. There are also grants which assist employers in making jobs more adapted to mature employees, such as the age management and work-life grants.
The WorkPro Job Redesign Grant from Workforce Singapore has benefited more than 200 companies, whose operations have become more streamlined and efficient after redesigning processes in favour of mature workers. The grant provides employers with up to SGD300,000 for creating safer, smarter and less physically demanding jobs for workers aged 50 and up.
The ‘Elder Advantage’
The advantages of engaging mature workers are many, not the least of which is their experience. This especially holds true for workers who have spent several years in a particular industry.
Though the technology may have changed, the in-depth understanding which comes from having worked in a specific field provides valuable insight and expertise. This allows mature workers to pinpoint ways that can help make business processes more efficient.
Mature workers also tend to be loyal to their employers and are likely to stay on at a job longer, resulting in a lower turnover and turnover cost incurred. Younger employees are more readily tempted away by more exciting opportunities, despite any investments their current employer may have made in their training.
Smaller businesses will also appreciate the willingness of mature workers to work flexible hours, as many of them do not need to work full, eight-hour shifts. This makes mature workers ideal for many temporary staffing or part-time employment opportunities.
More Focused, More Fulfilled
Employers with mature workers on their staff have likewise noted their good work ethic, honesty and dedication. These workers are usually more focused, organised and have a more developed sense of responsibility, which reflects in their attitude towards the job. They excel at time management and can be counted on to deliver on time.
Being more attentive, and paying more attention to detail, are other traits which distinguish mature workers. They can concentrate for longer periods of time and are good listeners, making them easier to train and therefore readily adaptable to changes in technology or processes.
Mature workers also tend to care very deeply about the quality of their work and take pride in a job well done. They understand the sense of fulfilment that employment can bring, and how it can transcend the earning aspect of the job.
Better Communicators, Better Leaders
Mature workers are generally more confident when it comes to reaching out to others within an organisation, perhaps because of the familiarity they have developed over several years in the workplace. They are better at sharing observations and insights, which may include pointing out errors or other matters that need to be addressed for the good of the organisation.
Because most of them developed their communication skills before the advent of digital technology, mature workers generally have better interpersonal skills and establish rapport with co-workers more easily. Better people skills and greater empathy also make mature workers better suited for leadership roles, or roles that involve greater responsibility or people management.
This makes mature workers ideal role models for their younger counterparts, as well as mentors who can help to guide and train employees. These workers are also more likely to remain more grounded in the face of major events because of their maturity, which less experienced co-workers can also learn from.
Better Recruiting Options
As a recruitment agency in Singapore that specialises in temporary staffing, Elitez can help businesses that experience regular, seasonal spikes in customer demand, as well as event-driven staffing requirements. Elitez is the sole appointed agency for major FMCG brands such as Unilever, Nestle, Mondelez and Ayam Brands, and has built up a track record for managing outsourced manpower teams.
With its pool of 20,000 workers, businesses can source mature and other part time or temporary workers from Elitez anytime. The company stands ready to meet temporary staffing requirements of any size even at short notice.
Elitez has its own training division to make sure that companies engage the services of temp staffers with the skills that the business needs. It has its own team of recruitment consultants that handle human resource consulting and general recruitment, as well as a division that offers career transition and outplacement services. Discover a comprehensive range of staffing and HR solutions at Elitez, today.
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Sources:
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/older-workers-can-work-until-age-67-from-july
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/more-older-residents-being-helped-in-job-search
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/good-news-for-pmes-older-workers-and-job-seekers
https://www.sec.gov.sg/Pages/Home.aspx
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/redesigning-jobs-to-suit-older-workers
http://sbr.com.sg/hr-education/commentary/5-reasons-why-hiring-older-singaporean-workers-boon
http://www.businessinsider.com/5-good-reasons-to-hire-older-workers-2013-7
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/167500
http://www.mom.gov.sg/~/media/mom/documents/employment-practices/guidelines/tripartite-guidelines-on-re-employment-of-older-employees-1-july-2017.pdf?la=en
