PETALING JAYA: Keep an open mind when hiring senior citizens as they bring years of skills and working experience, which can benefit an organisation and its younger employees, according to Hire.Seniors, a recruitment portal that connects potential employers to workers aged 50 and above.
A World Bank research report released in 2020 found that 7% of Malaysians were aged 65 and above, which classified the country as an “ageing society”.
The report also said the rate of ageing would increase in the coming years, with a portion of the population aged 65 and above projected to double to 14% by 2044 and 20% by 2056, resulting in Malaysian society becoming “super-aged”.
Hire.Seniors founder Jasmin Amirul Ghani (pix) said many of the seniors are seeking additional financial support given the rising cost of living.
Some feel the need to support their children, who are facing unemployment, while others just want to do something to pass the time and keep their minds active.
“Hire.Seniors was launched four years ago because we realised many skilled and experienced people have retired, and their skills and experience were lost to the workforce once they left. We have asked seniors if they wanted to work beyond retirement and the majority of them said yes.
“But they did not know where to go to find a suitable job.
“To date, we have over 7,000 registered candidates on our portal and we have access to over 50,000 more via our strategic partners,” she said.
Hire.Seniors has engaged with over 700 employers of which 20% are multinational companies and 80% are local small and medium enterprises and others.
It has successfully placed seniors in over 500 jobs with employers.
“During the pandemic, we saw a drop in the number of seniors wanting to work, most likely due to fear of getting infected.
“However, as we have come out of the pandemic, we are seeing increasing interest from them once again.”
Jasmin said learning can happen in two ways, they can impart their knowledge and experience to the younger workforce while learning from the younger generation in terms of using new technologies.
“The common misconception among employers is that older workers are slower and less inclined towards technology.
“However we have seen many successful cases where seniors have been open and willing to learn how to use technology, as long as employers are willing to teach them.”
Noorhayati Abdul Rahman, 68, is a successful applicant and works as an office manager.
She said the main issue when applying for a job was her age and well-being in terms of having the energy to go through rigorous office hours.
She discovered Hire.Seniors through one of her friends and said the services were excellent.
Its staff were friendly, accommodating and were genuinely trying to help her find a placement. Hire.Seniors handled all her hiring processes.
“Give us the chance to work, and the valuable experience we have to offer you is going to be simply priceless. If you are looking for experience, stability and the right manpower, seniors are the best source.
“We value greatly the opportunity to prove that we are as good as the younger ones, if not better,” she said.
