The case for Thinking Grey!

By Bob King

I recently authored an article with my suggestions on how to attract more young people to our otherwise “Un-sexy” industry. I wrote about the importance of offering the young candidate a well thought out and attainable career path map. Judging from the feedback that article received, I think it may have changed some folks’ perspectives on the recruiting process as it applies to younger candidates. I hope it helps, but it certainly will not cure the scarcity of youth in the building material business any time soon.

So, where can we find the talented people to operate, guide and grow our companies? Actually, we don’t need to find them at all! These people are sitting right in front of us; we just need to Think Grey.

According to Forbes Magazine’s 2014 CEO Statistical study, the average age of the S&P 500 CEOs shot up from just under 49 in 2001 to 55 in 2014! Why do you think that is? Clearly, the S&P 500 “Boards of Directors” increasingly prefer to hire leaders who have had more time on the job to acquire the knowledge, experience and the wisdom needed to oversee the largest companies in America. Why wouldn’t executives of smaller firms use the same logic when recruiting a Territory Salesperson, Ops Manager or Vice President?

As a former owner of three LBM businesses and now, in my position as an executive recruiter, I have encountered as many opinions about hiring “seasoned” employees as there are folks doing the hiring. But generally, they can be divided into two groups. The “New Blood Only” (NBO) group who want to hire only younger people and look at people in their forties and fifties as “Retreads”, “Has-Beens” and “Dinosaurs”. Then there is the, “I just want someone who can walk in the door and be able to do the job without babysitting” folks; the “Git Er Done” group (GED).

The “NBO” group assumes that anyone in their 40’s or 50’s is a “Retread”. But, what really are the assumed characteristics of a “Retread”? Maybe it is a person who lacks ambition, people skills, communication skills, the ability to grasp new concepts, or is just not that sharp. So, do you know any twenty or thirty something’s that would fit that criteria? I sure do! NBO’s are looking for ambitious, smart, and articulate hard-chargers that will help them grow their business and add to the bottom line, right? So why limit yourselves to young people only?

As a recovered NBO myself, and having assembled several teams over the years, especially involving younger folks, I realized that this tactic was no more than a very long “condensation” process. I would hire five people and, at the end of a year, only one or two would still be there. They either couldn’t cut it or would leave for that “shiny object” that paid a little more money. Turnover is expensive. It costs you, not only money, but time spent in the hiring process, training, unemployment contribution increases and mistakes that damage your company’s reputation. It’s pretty much a blind gamble.

Let’s face it, if you have a group of one hundred “seasoned” professionals who have survived twenty or thirty years in this business, you have to assume that they were the cream of an original crop of the several hundred. Most of that original group did not survive the cuts over the years. Sure, there will be those occasional under-performers in that seasoned group, but the vast majority have proved their worth and have performed at a consistently high level over time. They also have a verifiable track record; no more “pig in a poke” adventures.

Of course, these seasoned pros have probably made their fair share of mistakes over their careers, but they were intelligent enough to learn from them and not to repeat those particular errors. That is why they have survived. Luckily for you, those errors occurred on a past employer’s dime, so they are mistakes you will not need to pay for. Seasoned pros also tend to appreciate the job opportunity more than young folks and often go on to become some of your most faithful and productive employees. They have many years of experience to contribute and most prove to be excellent mentors to your younger staff members and, maybe, even yourself.

I refer to professionals in their forties and fifties as being in the “sweet-spot” of their careers. They still have many years of gas left in the tank and the experience, relationships, knowledge and pure business savvy to execute their employer’s objectives. After all, only a small percentage of most companies’ staffs actually have more than 15 years of longevity.

I personally know plenty of folks in their late fifties, sixties, and even some in their seventies, who are as sharp, aggressive and competitive as most twenty and thirty year olds I know. So, the next time you have a need for a person who will be able to, “Walk in the door and be able to do the job without babysitting”, become a “GED” and Think Grey!

Bob King is the co-founder of Coastal Forest Products, Edge Building Products, Sensibuilt Building Products and is a past board member of NAWLA. He is currently an Executive Recruiter & Succession Plan Staffing Consultant at SnapDragon Associates in Bedford, NH [email protected]