Workers are at retirement age, but employers arent sure when they will

Workers are at retirement age, but employers arent sure when they willWorkers are at retirement age, but employers arent sure when they willA vast majority of employers have employees at the age to retire, but face uncertainty because they arent sure when they will do so, according to a new survey from global risk management firm Willis Towers Watson calledThe 2018 Longer Working Careers Survey. Respondents included 143 large U.S. employers employing a total of 2.9 million employees.Eighty-three percent of these employers had a significant number of employees at or nearing retirement. Despite that, only half (53%) of those companies had a good understanding of when those employees would retire.Employers are worried about the inevitable brain drain 80% of employers view older workers as a vital part of their success. Retirement will mean the loss of their experience and skill 48% are concerned about the loss of institutional knowledge, and 50% expect it to be challenging to find wor kers with similar skills to replace them.While employers are concerned with what theyll lose with older workers retirement, they also acknowledge that their staying and delaying retirement equally causes complications, most notably on the cost of benefits. Nearly 50% of employers said they were worried benefits costs would rise because of employees delaying their retirements. 41% of employers said that workers who delay their retirements will increase wage and salary costs.According to the survey, employers are most often using the following plans to manage employee retirementsWellbeing Retirement planning programs (66%), modifying work conditions (36%)Flexible employment From moving positions (30%) to offering part-time employment (27%)Consulting 49% offer retired employees work as consultantsPhased retirement 10%But not everyones ready to retire data shows that a top reason people stay on is that they need to save more, and more recent research says 53% of Americans over 60 are postponing retirement.Older workers are clearly a sought-after resource, and our research shows there is a definite supply of employees who would like to work into their 60s or beyond,said Lauren Hoeck, director of Retirement at Willis Towers Watson. We believe employers can effectively draw on the expertise of older workers, and this opportunity will require careful management.

How to Say Youre Overworked Without Sounding Like Youre Whining

How to Say Youre Overworked Without Sounding Like Youre WhiningHow to Say Youre Overworked Without Sounding Like Youre WhiningRemember the 40-hour (ahem, I meant 50) work week? If the concept is a distant memory, youve been putting in some major time lately. And Im willing to bet that no one except your friends or significant other has noticed. Sound familiar?For those of us who dont punch in and out from 9 to 5, its easy for the hours to stack up without anyone ever noticing. Hopefully, whatever youve been laboring over will be all the proof of your hard work you need, but there will come a time (likely when your co-workers are heading to happy hour while youre planning to spend your evening cozied up with the annual report) that youll feel less than appreciated and want to let your team know just how much hard work youre putting in. What you dont want, however, is to be that colleague whos always whining about how late she worked the night before or giving a dramatic recounting of having to re-format a presentation over the weekend. On that note, heres what to do when you want to let your colleagues know youre burning the midnight oil- without sounding like youre complaining about it.vorkaufsrecht 1 Suffer in SilenceWhen to Use It If Its Not a Chronic Problem, or Youre Not the Only OneOK, so this isnt exactly a solution, but its definitely an option you should consider before attempting anything else. I know its probably not what you want to hear, but sometimes, we have to work mora than wed like, and it sucks. If youre in a busy season or if everyone seems to go through crazy periods from time to time, no amount of positioning, hinting, or straight up pointing it out will earn you much sympathy. We all have to do it, and unless this is a chronic issue, its probably best to just suck it up.On the other hand, if your workload is encroaching on your personal life in a major way, and it seems like youre the only one affected, then its time to do something about it. Like...Option 2 Leave Some CluesWhen to Use It If You Just Need a Little Appreciation (or Sympathy)If youre feeling like youre the one bearing the brunt of the workload, its totally fair to want to let your co-workers or boss know how much time youre putting in. Best case scenario, theyll offer to lend a hand if nothing else, it will get you a Get Out of Jail Free card as youre nodding off during your afternoon meetings.But- big disclaimer here- how you do it is key. One option is what I like to call the Easter Egg Approach. With this tactic, you wont say much, youll just leave little clues- like Easter eggs- for your colleagues. Just about everything we do these days has a timestamp on it, so when youre schliffing up work (circa 10 PM), send a friendly email out to the team. Make it short and sweet- just the facts. Just sending something to prove youre in the amtsstube after hours will look a little desperate, but if you actually have something useful to contribute, itll look j ust like what it is Hard work done after hours.Or, try the FILO (first-in-last-out) approach Instead of hunkering down at your desk from the moment you get in until the moment you leave, make sure others notice that youre the first one in the office and the last to leave. No, dont make a big scene at the coffee machine about how youve been in the office- that isnt going to win you any sympathy points. Instead, simply engage in conversation with as many people as you can, and make sure youre talking about something work-related. After a few days of seeing you there before everyone else and still there when the office clears, your colleagues will get the hint that youre a little overworked right now.Finally, just ask for some help here and there. Ask Bob from accounting for some input or advice on the project youre working on, and when he comes back to you with feedback, hell see you hard at work. Mission accomplished.Option 3 Have the TalkWhen to Use It When Youre Truly Overworked an d Need Something to ChangeOf course, if you need more than just a little sympathy- as in, three more people to handle your workload- its time to stop with the subtle tactics and sit down with your manager for a chat. Put some time on your boss calendar, giving a hint about what youd like to discuss (something like, Id like to chat with you for a few minutes about the X projects Im working on and get some insight on how to move forward on them works perfectly). In the meantime, make a list of your projects and priorities. Before you can tell your manager how overloaded you are, youd better be prepared. If youre working late simply because your cat video watching lasted longer than usual, thats not a good excuse. But if youve taken on five new projects because someone just quit, thats worth mentioning.Then, offer some suggestions on how you think the load could be distributed in a more manageable way. For example, if its taking you a long time to finish a project because youre unfamil iar with a new piece of software the company has rolled out, suggest that you take a class to help get you up to speed. If there are truly more tasks on your plate than there are hours in the day, ask your boss for help prioritizing. When it comes time for the actual talk, remember to stay objective and positive. You want to highlight the fact that youre feeling a bit overwhelmed- not simply complaining. Frame everything youre saying in a positive way, and always be ready to offer suggestions and ask for your managers advice on how to work more effectively. Make sure youre clear about what youd like to achieve after the conversation, and suggest you both check in again in a week or two to see how things are going.Im a big fan of work-life balance, but sometimes stuff just needs to get done, and the hours between 9 and 5 arent going to cut it. And in those cases, recognize when and how to share that with your co-workers or boss. Youll earn some sympathy points or some help- without l ooking like a whiner. Photo of illustrated finger courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Hire an Employee

How to Hire an EmployeeHow to Hire an EmployeeWhile you need to move swiftly to land top job candidates today, you cant be careless. Heres how to hire an employee in a highly competitive market for top talent.Figuring out how to hire an employee with just the right mix of skills and knowledge can sometimes feel like a daunting and high-stakes task. Bring aboard the wrong person and you (and your employer) waste valuable time and money. Given the costs of making a bad hire, your team is counting on you to find a great fit.Follow these six tips to attract and hire employees who bring maximum value to your team and company.1. Juice up the job descriptionGenerating interest from highly qualified job candidates is often one of the fruchtwein difficult aspects of the hiring process for a business. So when a position opens up, take the time to write a job description thats both detailed and compelling.While you dont want your job posting to be excessively long or so specific that it deters qualified candidates from applying, you do want to include enough information to attract job seekers who are well-suited for the position.If its a new role, carefully consider the tasks you want the employee to take on short term and long term, and the levels of education and experience your ideal candidate should possess.If youre filling a vacated role, take the opportunity to evaluate whether you want to make changes to the position. Chances are youll want to add or shift some responsibilities.2. Cast a wide netWhen youre ready to start recruiting candidates, cast your net deep and wide. Of course, you want to post the opening on your website and on job boards that cater to your companys industry. And you should also share the job ad on your companys social media accounts. But dont forget about the power of in-person networking to spread the news of your open position, whether youre attending a casual lunch, professional event or industry conference.You may also want to consider w orking with a specialized recruiter who has access to highly skilled candidates, including passive job seekers. Staffing agencies such as Robert Half can help you hire talented individuals with expertise in different areas - from technology to accounting - for a project, contract-to-hire or full-time basis.HIRING? WE CAN HELP3. Dont shortchange the resume reviewEvaluating resumes can be tedious and time consuming, but as the hiring manager, youre best able to decide if a candidates qualifications fit the bill. Look for resumes with keywords and phrases that match the job description. This shows that the candidate is focused on details and has experience that aligns with the job duties. Also, keep an eye out for resumes that highlight both technical and soft skills, and that include concrete ways the job seeker added value and helped meet company goals in previous roles.4. Conduct consistent interviewsDuring each interview, pay attention to whether the candidate is well prepared by testing their knowledge of your company and industry. Again, zero in on both technical know-how and interpersonal abilities. Your job is to not only find the most qualified person, but also build a well-functioning and cohesive team.While your conversations will naturally take different courses, be sure to ask all candidates the same questions to keep the playing field level. And dont forget to sell yourself and your company. After all, interviews are a two-way street.5. Determine the right salary rangeOffering an attractive salary package is a must given the competition to attract talent for many jobs today. According to a survey by our company, a majority of hiring managers polled (57 percent) say they are willing to negotiate salary with top candidates.The Robert Half Salary Guides can ensure your starting pay ranges are on par with, or better than, what other companies in your area are offering. You can also use our Salary Calculator to quickly and easily compute average starti ng salary ranges for various job titles in your city.GET THE SALARY GUIDE6. Act fast when you find the right candidateA survey by our company found that it takes five weeks, on average, to fill an open staff-level position. And filling an open management-level role takes an average of seven weeks. So once youve identified your top candidate, extend an offer quickly. Candidates with the right mix of skills frequently have multiple opportunities from which to choose.Expect the candidate to take a day or two to consider your offer, and plan for some back-and-forth negotiating. Finally, make it clear the job offer is contingent upon any reference or background checks you need to complete. Tags