Looking Forward to Summer Vacation Travel?

With the summer vacation season in full swing, most families have plans to travel this year.??Sounds like fun, right???However, the overwhelming number of employees planning to take time off presents a challenge for employers who may find themselves short-staffed with so many of their people taking vacation time.??In many cases, these organizations were already having problems recruiting and keeping new younger talent.??

The answer to this dilemma may be simply calling, (yes, call on the phone) recently retired workers to come back, even if it’s only part-time.??Many Boomers welcome the opportunity to work part-time.?In fact, I have spoken to Boomers who took early retirement at the beginning of the pandemic and now find themselves bored to death!??Why not give them a call???

If you are thinking this might be a good solution for your organization, here’s another consideration.??Why not encourage these returning Boomers to buddy up with younger co-workers and share their experience and expertise??For this to work, there needs to be mutual respect.??Younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z have new ideas and new perspectives, a fresh set of eyes for problem-solving.??They should be respected for their ideas and input while older generations should be respected for their experience and knowledge.??When there is mutual respect, a buddy system increases productivity, creativity, and best of all, loyalty to your organization!??

There is considerable research that supports this approach!??According to AARP, 77% of adults surveyed said that having older colleagues is a learning opportunity and 69% said that older co-workers make the work environment more productive.?Older and Younger People Like Working Together (aarp.org)

Think about it, who could you call to help you sail smoothly through the vacation season and beyond?