The problems facing older workers are well documented in the media, so it was refreshing to attend the Encore Opportunity Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., yesterday, where the buzz in the room was all about the value and values that experienced employees bring to a job. The event honored 8 nonprofits or government organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to encore talent.

“Seven out of 10 nonprofits have recently hired someone we’d think of as in an encore career,” said Civic Ventures Vice President Phyllis Segal, citing recent research done by Civic Ventures and MetLife Foundation. “And those who have done it are far more positive about recruiting the encore workforce than those who haven’t.” That led to what Segal jokingly called her very sophisticated theory on hiring encore talent: “Try it, you’ll like it.”