If you’ve ever managed a bunch of people in any business, you know that there are advantages to every age. Diversity is the best thing ever! But by far, without fail, the most experienced group of people is usually older people. Simply by virtue of having more years of experience and growing up in different times gives them experience and perspective that is unique.
A new Business Insider report says that fast food restaurants are finally “getting it.” Hiring senior citizens is the latest trend.
Forget teenagers: Fast food joints across the US are hiring senior citizens, and it's thanks to 2 major demographic trends https://t.co/kGgMYevnG9
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) November 5, 2018
But not only are these places of business being “benevolent” and hiring senior citizens. They’re actively recruiting them at places like senior centers, churches, and the AARP.
Business Insider suggests that it’s partially due to a labor shortage, which means that there are more jobs than people. A good situation for workers to be in.
“You’ve got an environment where, really, the economy is strong,” BTIG analyst Peter Saleh previously told Business Insider. “People are trading up into better jobs. There aren’t as many employees or capable employees to do the jobs these companies need.”
One restaurant chain in Colorado is definitely hiring almost exclusively senior citizens. Angela Hayes, a district manager for Pita Pit in Colorado Springs, says “hire those senior citizens…they know their stuff.” She explains:
“There’s nothing wrong with kids, but it just seems that nowadays…the whole millennial thing, there’s very few of them that have good work ethics.”
“Honestly, I try not to really hire teenagers…you’ve always got to have an open mind because there are some good ones out there, but for the most part I try not to.”
One such senior employee is June Cove Boyd. Hayes says that:
“[…] customers love her…it’s just better to get older people with more experience. They’re on time. They’re friendlier…and they’re not on their cell phone all the time.”
Ouch. Well, it’s true! Very few senior citizens are sitting on SnapChat all day long, right?
For her part, Boyd says that her motivation for working is more for her health than for money.
“I immediately went back to work in the food industry and customer service…depression for older people sets in. That’s why more of people my age are going back to work.”
Boyd did note, however, that many people her age are working to supplement their retirement money.
The Business Insider article cites the reasons for the rise in more opportunities for senior citizens.
- Older workers aren’t usually looking for a VP or CEO position.
- They have a leg up on teenagers when it comes to soft skills like having a good attitude and being on time.
Regardless of the reason for the upswing in jobs for seniors, it’s great to see that the business world is finally able to see the value of hiring seasoned senior citizens as employees.