“There’s no denying this … We messed up.” These words were written by Johnny C.Taylor, Jr., president & CEO of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), in a recent LinkedIn post.
He continued: “We confused ‘new’ with ‘better.’ We acted as if the future of work belongs only to the young. The reality? We now have 6 generations in the workforce. And workers over 60 still bring real value.
“What do they offer?
🔹 Built-in mentorship.
🔹 Deep institutional knowledge.
🔹 Steady leadership under pressure.
🔹 Perspective you only get from time.
“If your hiring strategy only focuses on early career, you need to fix this. Because when we overlook experienced talent, we miss out on what they know AND what they could still teach.” (Emphasis added)
In a separate LinkedIn newsletter in July, Mr. Taylor offered a solution for hiring managers seeking to level the playing field for older workers and others who are too often overlooked in the recruiting and hiring process:
“In our profession, we’re trained to weed out ‘undesirable’ job candidates. Unfortunately, this can include the formerly incarcerated, people above the age of 55, and those without college degrees.
“As a result, we’ve been overlooking phenomenal talent. That’s the last thing we can afford to do—especially today, as we face a severe talent shortage.
“Fortunately, there’s a simple solution. We can end hiring discrimination AND address the skills gap. How? Skills-based hiring.” He then goes on the describe the benefits of and steps needed to implement a skills-based hiring process.
The LinkedIn post drove a lively conversation in support of Mr. Taylor’s thesis.
Michele Mills, an HR manager, said: “YES! I just interviewed a candidate over 60 this morning and he was great. The amount of value he could add to our young team is really exciting to me.”
Karen Roberts, HR professional and member of The Encore Network, wrote: “Intergenerational work teams drive innovation and creativity. Mature workers are loyal, dedicated, and provide an amazing return on investment. Contrary to many people‘s beliefs, mature workers are eager for lifelong learning, re-skilling and upskilling. Those interested in more information about the value of mature workers can check out The Encore Network and my blog that includes a shout out to Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., and his commitment to this important workforce segment.”
Carolynne Mahood, HR professional and Encore Network member, said: “To take this further, SHRM, and similar organizations, could develop workshops, training programs, or case studies that demonstrate how employers can fully leverage the strengths of older workers. Awareness is the first step to driving change in workplaces.”
Larae Mobley Moumoumi, a director of learning and development, wrote: “A truly future-ready workforce values both fresh perspectives and seasoned wisdom. The future of work isn’t young or old, it’s stronger when every generation has a seat at the table.”
Jennifer Sirois, a career coach, added: “Too often, organizations chase ‘new’ at the expense of ‘seasoned,’ forgetting that real innovation happens when we blend perspectives across generations… I’ve seen firsthand how multigenerational teams create stronger cultures and better outcomes. When companies lean too heavily on early-career hiring, they risk losing the balance of wisdom, perspective, and lived experience that can’t be replicated by training alone.”
Obviously, these comments and others like them come from those who already agree with the points Mr. Taylor was making. But it’s encouraging to see the CEO of SHRM and other professionals in the field standing up for older workers at a time when the attention of HR is being scattered in so many other directions.
I take this as a small sign of progress. Talking alone doesn’t change things, but influential leadership can draw attention to the issue and open the way for needed change.
Let’s look for opportunities to leverage these words and wring what value we can from this very strong statement from a prominent source.
Doug Dickson, Co-founder and Secretary of The Encore Network