Helpful HR Highlights for Employers
‘More Experienced’ workers returning to the workforce
The pace of retirements picked up during the pandemic. Can you entice these experienced workers to return to work on your team? Consider some lessons learned below from the healthcare industry and General Motors – both of which have a 24/7/365 schedule need…
Allegheny Health developed a program, which kicked off in 2017, to provide more flexibility for these professionals. “Flexible scheduling is the foundation of the program,” Zangerle says. “If they don’t want to work eight- or 12-hour shifts, we needed to let them work fewer hours per shift, but at least a four-hour block of time,” she says. “There is never a time when we don’t need an extra set of hands.”
The program, which is also available to current employees who want a change of status or schedule, has allowed the organization to retain some older nurses who are concerned about the physical toll full-time practice takes on them. “They may want to retire because they don’t know how much longer they can do the work,” Zangerle says.
In a 24/7/365 work environment, flexible scheduling at Allegheny Health requires flexibility by management as well. People managers need the permission and freedom to be creative, along with the training and technology necessary to support these efforts.
In addition, nurses returning after time away need refreshers to ensure their clinical skills are up-to-date. This includes shadowing a nurse in a practice area where they want to work “to get their legs back,” Zangerle says. “It’s all about re-entry.”
This type of retraining is often essential for older workers returning to the workforce after any length of time. The longer people are away from work, the harder it can be for them to return. Their skills can become outdated as technology and work processes change and the speed of everyday work increases. People who left the workforce when the pandemic began in March 2020 and now want to return to work may face significant challenges in doing so.
General Motors’ Take Two program focuses on facilitating the return process for workers who have been out of the workforce for at least two years. While the program does not target any specific age demographic, it builds an on-ramp back to work for older workers by providing 12 weeks of onboarding, mentoring and orientation. “This is designed to help them hit the ground running,” says Tamberlin Golden, the company’s executive director of workforce strategy. “When they come back to the workforce, they don’t have to figure it out on their own.”
The program provides training in certain areas, including technology, to help participants expand and refresh their professional skills. Participants have worked in a number of areas in the company, including finance, software programming and software data analytics.
Each worker in the program meets weekly with a mentor to discuss progress and challenges on the job. “This is the time to assess opportunities for development and ensure access to self-paced learning to enhance their professional skills based on the recommendations set for them,” Golden says.
Employers that are looking to build their own programs to help older workers transition back to the workplace can start with a pilot program. Make changes over time in accordance with participant and manager feedback and the performance of program alumni based on metrics such as retention levels. “Start small and nurture the process,” Golden recommends.
Don’t Forget Retention
It’s also important to encourage older workers to remain on the job. “Employers are starting to see years of knowledge walk out the door,” says Candice Pokk, an organizational effectiveness consultant with benefits and human resources consulting firm Segal.
In some cases, employers may not recognize what knowledge they will be missing until they need it. “This could be someone working in the facilities department who knows how to handle hazardous materials or knows how to work a specific, but very important, valve on a piece of equipment,” she says.
To avoid a knowledge drain, an organization’s leaders need to keep tabs on retirement risks in the workforce and where those departures would leave the organization most vulnerable. With that information, employers can develop interventions to either capture older workers’ knowledge before they retire or negotiate arrangements to keep them working longer.
Allegheny Health, the organization strives to find the right approach for each individual. That might include the option of a hybrid position with a mix of work in the clinical setting and work that can be done on a computer from home. “The key is to find ways to use their knowledge capital,” Zangerle says.
Part-time work or phased retirement can be important ways to keep people in positions that are hard to fill. For example, truck drivers, skilled tradespeople, and facilities and maintenance personnel are increasingly difficult to find, so employers may be able to persuade them to stay on by offering reduced hours, job sharing or increased wellness benefits to help them manage the physical demands of these roles.
Importantly, employers should find ways to make older workers feel welcome and supported. For example, “bringing a group of older workers on board at the same time can create a cohort effect as these workers bond during the transition back to work,” says Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO of iRelaunch, a Miami-based consulting firm specializing in career re-entry. “These people can be each other’s sounding boards and cheerleaders.”
(Society for Human Resources Management, 2022)
News at P&C Recruiting and HR
CLICK HERE to read the feature story on P&C Recruiting and HR—published in this week’s edition of “Mining In The West”
Pamela Smith Joins P&C Team
We are excited to announce that Pamela Smith, based in San Antonio, TX, has joined our P&C Team! Pamela brings a strong background in the mining and engineering sector and is joining us on a part-time basis, allowing her to balance spending more time with her loved ones. Her primary role is as a Candidate Sourcing Specialist in support of our Recruiting Division. Please join us in welcoming Pamela to the P&C Team!
Same great company, same great people & slightly new look!
You have likely now seen our new look and naming convention for our company.
Join Us!
June 8-10: Colorado Mining Association Annual Convention Grand Junction, CO
Pray & Co. will be sponsoring, attending and speaking on a workforce development panel. For more information CLICK HERE.
June 13 –15: Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada Annual Convention—Toronto, ON Pray & Co. will be sponsoring, attending and virtually presenting. For more information CLICK HERE.
June 17-18: Pray for Life Cornhole and Golf Fundraiser Ruby View Golf Course, Elko, NV
Join Pray & Co. at the annual cornhole and golf fundraiser! To register CLICK HERE or go to prayforlife3.com
July 20-22: P & C Team annual face-to-face meeting and team training Montana
Watch our social channels for some fun photos!
August 24-25: Wyoming Mining Association Annual Convention Jackson Hole, WY
Pray & Co. will be sponsoring, attending and facilitating a workforce development panel. For more information CLICK HERE
August 26-27: Nevada Mineral Processors—SME Subsection Annual Meeting—Reno, NV Pray & Co. will be sponsoring and attending. For more information CLICK HERE
P&C Recruiting and HR Partner Spotlight
P&C Recruiting and HR is a board-level member of NAATBatt – whose mission is to support the advanced battery technology endeavors throughout North America. Included in NAATBatt’s endeavors is involvement in Li-Bridge.
As widespread electrification drives demand for lithium-based batteries to power electric vehicles and stationary storage, the domestic battery supply chain must expand. Li-Bridge is a public-private alliance, including the U.S. Department of Energy, committed to accelerating the development of a robust and secure domestic supply chain for lithium-based batteries.
Li-Bridge’s Forum #2 was held May 4 in Detroit, MI with over 40 participants from industry, academia, and DOE national labs. The main objective was to determine which areas along the US lithium-based battery supply chain should be prioritized for government intervention.
To inform this discussion, the six standing industry committees that make up Li-Bridge presented findings from their analyses of the gaps and challenges along the US lithium-based battery supply chain. Attendees at Forum #2 then discussed the findings and made preliminary recommendations as to where government intervention might be most effective.
Forum #3 will be held on June 15 in Berkeley, California. NAATBatt will continue its efforts to inform its members as to the ongoing Li-Bridge deliberations and recommendations and to seek input from all NAATBatt members about the best national strategy to establish a robust and sustainable lithium battery supply chain in the United States.
We are highlighting Bob Lundblad, Senior Recruiting Specialist with P&C Recruiting and HR. Stay tuned for more details on Bob’s involvement with SME (Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration) – in support of industry efforts!
Another example of P&C Recruiting and HR’s commitment to a #CultureofInvolvement.
Mission of Pray for Life Foundation
Supports organ transplant awareness and registration, donor/recipient families in distress, grief counseling, and organ donation research.
Provides temporary living for donor and recipient families in proximity to medical centers.
Provides annual scholarships to student-athletes through the Jeston R. Pray Memorial Scholarship.
Collaborates with transplant organizations to improve the organ donor process in support of families in distress.
The Pray For Life Foundation (P4L) invites you to register for their annual Golf Tournament Weekend! June 17 & 18, 2022.
Ruby View Gold Course in Elko, NV
Cornhole—Friday, at 6:00 p.m. Golf—Saturday, at 9:00 a.m.
Log on to https://birdease.com/P4
We work for clients and recruit for career opportunities throughout the Americas. Contact us at 833-775-7729.
