Hiring Seniors back into the workforce - a boon

Being a first-time hire chosen from Hire.seniors was something new to me when I first decided to rope into this new venture. This was also the first time I came across a venture of engaging the services of retirees. Yes - retired people who are healthy, and fit have so much to contribute and are valuable assets to the workforce. I thought it was a great idea and was waiting for the opportunity when a job suited to my credentials and experience would arise. Many months later there was an opening for the role of a copywriter needed by a company who was a distributor of high-quality aged care & medical technology and healthcare products and services. After the interview I was given the position as a copywriter at iElder.asia.

Why did I rope myself into this area - working after retirement?

There were many reasons. In the first place, receiving a monthly income was a good incentive. Keeping busy daily was so important to me as I was used to working for over 4 decades. The thought of staying home with nothing to do was daunting. Apart from being busy, keeping the mind alert to avoid mental degradation was one sure way of delaying the onset of dementia which was a scary thought. Furthermore, sharing my experience, vision and ideas to the younger people was also something I could contribute. Providing a valuable check and balance by integrating the ideas between the experienced elders with the creativity and innovation of the younger generation would be a good combination.

What can we retirees offer to the existing workforce?

Firstly, we have a wealth of experience, we have the expertise, the life skills, and the knowledge. Self-discipline is something we practice, and we take a lot of pride in our work. Completing the job with the details and perfection is second nature to us and we are focused on the task at hand after having carried out a job for years. With the experience we racked up over the years, we have the capability to become mentors and coaches for the younger workforce as they gain from our advice, knowledge, and skills.

Coping with the rapid pace of Digitization?

The rapid pace of the IT industry and digitisation has been a disadvantage to the older generation as they are not so tech-savvy. However, seniors can adapt to changes fast enough if given the right retraining. As a retiree learning and going into the online realm was exciting for me as these were new initiatives. There is no end to learning new things in our fast-paced life as that keeps us ‘young’ giving the confidence so needed to maintain our self-esteem and self-worth.

Was going back to work after retirement worth it?

Yes, it is a big boon to us seniors to be recognised and given the opportunity to play our part, keep us busy and motivated and still be income generating. Terima Kasih Hire. Seniors for thinking about this group of people and giving them re- employment. A big thank you to iElder.asia for giving me the opportunity to be a part of their journey.

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