A GUIDE FOR HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS | 7
02
DEFINING EXPERIENCE
MEET THE ‘THIRD QUARTER’ CANDIDATE
Mature Workers Bring Invaluable Hard and Soft Skills to Your Table
B
y definition, ‘third quarter’ workers
are 45 and older.
Some people may be returning to the
workforce after early retirement while others
are looking for employment after company
downsizing. They could be seeking
opportunities in a new field or looking to
share their years of industry experience.
Others want to keep working for personal
or financial reasons.
While some people seek full-time
employment, others prefer flexible,
contract, seasonal or part-time positions
to achieve a better work and life balance.
Most people say they want to keep
contributing to society and not waste
their talent and experience. Other people
want to pursue unrealized dreams. Most
experienced professionals agree that their
‘third quarter’ is the perfect time to embark
on an encore career.
This group values the sense of identity
and community that comes from being
active in the workplace.
With all of these positive attributes, why
are many of these highly skilled, motivated
and experienced people still passed over
for jobs?
This growing talent pool is a boon
to business. Companies need to make
integrating mature workers into their
workforce a priority. Age is just one
component of the diversity equation for
which organizations need to recognize,
recruit and retain.
“Boomers have, of course, made every major tech
adaptation of the last 25 years. And research I have
conducted and read over the last eight years confirms
[Boomers] are constantly adapting if they choose it.”
— Stephen Reily, Does Tech-Savviness = Happiness? Not To Boomers,
Mediapost.com