For Encore Employers

Brian Jones, left, a teacher at Orleans Technical Institute, shows students how to position a door frame. Photo courtesy of JEVS Human Services.

2009 Encore Opportunity Awards

Even in today’s challenging economic times, nonprofits and government agencies are engaging people over 50 in creative ways to accomplish pressing missions.

This year’s Encore Opportunity Award winners are tapping encore talent to protect public safety, build low-income housing, teach job skills, preserve the environment and fill other vital needs.

Eight organizations that are engaging people over 50 in creative ways.
Ten practical strategies for tapping encore talent in your organization.
All about (pdf) the 2009 Encore Opportunity Award winners.
Read the press release.

2009 Encore Opportunity Award Winners

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Enhancing Public Safety

Posted 11/16/2009 - 11:59am

Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department
Lawrenceville, Georgia

In the community and the workplace, 50-plus employees of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department are teachers and confidants.

Even inmates see their value.

“Most inmates are under 30 and recognize that a person 50-plus has a lot of life experience and has been exposed to a lot of life’s problems,” says Chief Deputy Mike Boyd. “That same inmate will not seek out that type of advice and counseling from a much younger deputy.”

by: Michele Melendez | Read more >>

Creating Meaningful Connections

Posted 11/16/2009 - 11:56am

Civitan Foundation Inc.
Phoenix, Arizona

Without hesitation, David Zowin, a 43-year-old with a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome, expresses his feelings for Civitan Foundation employee Jon Cochran, 73.

“I was born and raised to have respect for my elders,” says Zowin, whose parents are deceased. “Jon is more than just an elder. I feel he is a dad to me.”

Civitan purposefully develops those kinds of relationships by recruiting people over 50 as caregivers for individuals with developmental disabilities. In fact, the organization, which offers respite care through a summer camp and year-round social and learning activities, developed its Caring Connections program to attract workers over 50.

by: Michele Melendez | Read more >>

Saving Native Language

Posted 11/16/2009 - 11:55am

Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You can learn the history, the folklore, the music, the dance. But you may never truly understand a culture – a people – without knowing the language.

That feeling drives Lillian Rice in her work, teaching children a Native American language slipping into extinction.

The Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals gives workers who are old enough and wise enough to be considered “elders” in native communities an opportunity to get paid to do what only they can: save a language.

by: Michele Melendez | Read more >>

Encore Employer News

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Study Shatters Myths About Older Employees

Posted 12/15/2009 - 6:15pm

The Ninth Annual Year in Ideas roundup published December 13 in The New York Times Magazine debunks stereotypes about older workers being risk averse, noncompetitive and uncooperative.

It cites a 2008 “Cooperation and Competition in Intergenerational Experiments” study by Gary Charness, an economics professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and Marie Claire Villeval of the University of Lyon that compared how “seniors” over age 50 and “juniors” under 30 behaved during experimental games and tasks.

by: Terry Nagel | 1 comment | Read more >>

A Perfect Match? How Nonprofits are Tapping Boomer Talent

Posted 10/29/2009 - 7:21am

Whether you are a nonprofit employer interested in further developing your workforce or someone who is interested in an encore career but has not previously worked at a nonprofit, a new report, “A Perfect Match? How Nonprofits are Tapping into the Boomer Talent Pool”, by Jill Casner-Lotto of The Conference Board, provides “actionable advice” for both.

by: Cal Halvorsen | Read more >>

Corporations Help Execs Transition to Nonprofit Sector

Posted 08/21/2008 - 11:14am

Rusine Mitchell Sinclair left a 25-year career at IBM last year “to bring my experiences as an IBM executive to thousands of girls across North Carolina.”

Now, IBM is helping other executives and managers follow Sinclair to the nonprofit sector. The Financial Times calls IBM’s program a “Retirement Plan with a Difference.”

by: Terry Nagel | Read more >>

Encore Employer Advice

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Spotting the Stars in the Resume Pile

Posted 11/25/2008 - 10:46am

Take the pain out of sorting through resumes by creating a review process. These tips from Bridgestar will help you find relevant candidates, including talented encore jobseekers.

Step 1: Agree on your resume review process and team member involvement.

| Read more >>

Making the Workplace More Flexible

Posted 12/02/2008 - 1:43pm

by James Weinberg, founder and CEO of Commongood Careers.

Recruiting and employing a 60-year-old former corporate businessperson may be different than bringing on a 25-year-old recent business school graduate.

But both candidates may be attracted by some simple innovations in how the workplace is structured that are often overlooked by nonprofit organizations.

| Read more >>

How to Assess Whether a Job Applicant Will be a Good 'Fit'

Posted 11/25/2008 - 1:22pm

How can you determine whether a job applicant will be able to successfully make the transition from the commercial world to your nonprofit organizations? Bridgestar, an initiative of the Bridgespan Group, provides sample interview questions that will help you probe the applicant’s motivations and skills. Here are selected questions from Bridgestar’s Hiring Toolkit for nonprofit employers.

| Read more >>

Resources for Encore Employers

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Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce

Posted 01/08/2009 - 11:11am

National Council on Aging’s MaturityWorks Alliance, 2007. This two-part webinar for nonprofits includes practical suggestions for how to manage across generations. Two separate presentations by field experts are available for a no-cost download. Available here.

| Read more >>

AARP Workforce Assessment Tool

Posted 11/24/2008 - 11:18am

AARP, 2008. This online interactive questionnaire designed for employers analyzes information submitted about current demographics and capacities, then generates a tailored report describing the potential impact of the aging workforce, workplace strengths, current employment practices, areas for improvement and steps to create an “age-friendly” workplace. Available online here.

| Read more >>

The 10 Commandments of Employee Onboarding

Posted 01/08/2009 - 12:14pm

CareerBuilder.com, n.d. This online resource explains why employers should take the time to welcome and orient new employees and gives ten “onboarding” best practices. For all ages and all employers. Available here.

| Read more >>

Ask Rita in HR

Posted 02/20/2009 - 1:52pm

This free online resource is a “Dear Abby” or “ask.com” style column that provides HR legal advice for nonprofit employers and HR professionals.

by: Cal Halvorsen | Read more >>

Hiring Toolkit: Navigating the Hiring Process

Posted 11/24/2008 - 11:48am

Bridgestar, 2006
Topics in this kit for employers include creating job descriptions, developing a candidate pool, screening and interviewing candidates, and finalizing a choice. This resource from Bridgestar is especially helpful for nonprofits recruiting candidates from the corporate sector. Available online here.

| Read more >>

Gray Skies, Silver Linings: How Companies are Forecasting, Recruiting, and Managing a Mature Workforce

Posted 11/24/2008 - 11:43am

By Mary Young with Diane Pikatialis and Anna Rappaport. The Conference Board, 2007. As baby boomers begin to hit retirement age, companies are scrambling to figure out how to avoid a potentially devastating brain drain. This 2007 study from The Conference Board includes 12 case studies of nonprofit and for-profit employers that are trying to engage, retain and recruit mature workers.

| Read more >>