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A variety of industries were taking notes regarding this workforce shift. Among those represented at the breakfast included: healthcare, retail, government, transportation, and finance. One organization’s human resources director voiced the concern that companies are just beginning plans to retain older workers in the workforce, and/or recruit those who have retired already. “Many companies are finding creative ways to place these workers…whether it’s through consulting, or just on a part-time basis. I think they recognize the tremendous advantage of keeping workers who possess vast history and technical skills,” Mark LeMaire, United Way’s Life: Act 2 Director said. The event’s featured speaker Ginny Olson of Towers Perrin and author of the 2006 Benefit Study shared research supporting the advantages of using workers ages 50 and older. According to her research, the mature workforce is not only outperforming younger generations through overall population growth, but also shows an increase in productivity, despite concerns that their age may cause otherwise. “Communication skills and decision-making skills, which continue to sharpen with age, can more than make up for any declines in manual dexterity that may occur with age,” Olson said. “For instance, a study of hotel reservation clerks concluded that older clerks more than made up for handling calls more slowly by achieving a higher success rate.” The companies in attendance will complete an online survey in response to the research presented. The results will be used by Life Act: 2’s Culture Shift Committee to determine what resources might be helpful to companies. “We want to expand this conversation about the value of mature workers,” LeMaire said. 
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