Baby Boomer Rainmakers - Are you writing them off as candidates?

Everywhere I look there are headlines shouting about the baby boomers retiring:
VARs Face Brain Drain as Baby Boomers Retire
Job market to boom as baby boomers retire
Preparing for Baby Boomer Retirement

But the truth of the matter is Baby Boomers don't really WANT to retire! At least, many of them don't. Unlike the days of our fathers when the average life span was about mid-50 to mid-60, baby boomers are still healthy and active now in their 50's and 60's. And they want to keep working - in the same industry as they have been in or in a new career altogether - they just aren't ready to lay around all day.

More often than not, it is the perception of employers that stands in the way of these baby boomers remaining in the workforce and ultimately that is going to be the cause of an economic crisis when these experienced workers are forced to retire.

Not long ago a potential client told me that he didn't want someone too experienced for his job opening because they thought they knew it all and wouldn't learn new ways. I asked him how much his average "entry level" sales person was selling and he gave me a number that seemed very low to me. I pointed out how much more an experienced person was likely to bring to the table with very little "learning".

So, how can you take advantage of those baby boomers who are looking desperately for new jobs?

Hire them!

Allow them to share their experience with your less experienced sales people and turn all of them into Rainmakers too!

Don't let your biases stop your company sales from soaring. The job market might boom, but it will take twice as many people to make those sales until they get up to speed. Do you want the job market to boom? Or your sales to boom?