I’m refreshing this post on the advantages of hiring women in their 40’s 50’s and 60’s, in light of Mika Brzezinski’s new book “Comeback Careers: Rethink, Refresh, Reinvent your Success — At 40, 50, and Beyond,”
It’s not only women who need to think differently. Companies on the lookout for new talent, need to do so as well. New talent fresh off the vine is not the only, or even the best, end of the pool to choose from. Experienced swimmers who know how to swim in the deep end, will serve you well.
You’re looking for high potential talent who will quickly reach and sustain peak performance, but chances are your looking in the wrong end of the talent pool. Here’s why.
Connecting the Talent Pool Dots
Dot 1: Boys and girls lose self-confidence from ages 9 – 22 (1)
Dot 2: Women experience the largest increase in self-confidence between ages 40 – 70, whereas men make their biggest gains between 40 – 50 (1)
Dot 3: Women In their late 40s and early 50s are typically emptying family nests. They are ready for a long hard refreshing swim (or flight, if you will). This is the place in your very own talent pool where the endurance athletes are swimming.
Dot 4: These women athletes know your company, your customers and the culture. They already have the skills you’re searching to find.
Dot 1 + Dot 2 + Dot 3 + Dot 4 = To find motivated marathon-ready athletes, search the talent pool where women in their 40s – 70s are swimming.
Which End of the Talent Pool Does Your Company Search?
Talent comes in all colors, sizes, ages, and in both genders. Some companies intentionally seek talent from various places in the pool, but few, if any, explore the place where the fifty-something women swim. This is a BIG mistake, considering:
Women in their fifties:
- Have a good 15 – 20 years of athleticism in their future
- Are in it for the long swim, not the quick sprint followed by a move to a different team
- Are strong, wise, confident, and have a breadth of experience
- Know how to teach teams of little people with refrigerator-size egos to share resources and play well together
- Can manage a budget
1. Global Self-Esteem Across the Life Span in Psychology and Aging, 2002 Volume 17, No. 3, (423 – 434).