B2 – Upper Intermediate
The question of whether it is acceptable to hire seniors to work is a topic that has continued to bewilder companies. Some argue that seniors bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the workplace, making them valuable assets. Others believe that some cases of hiring seniors could lead to age discrimination.
Learn about the advantages and difficulties of recruiting a senior employee by reading the article.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/seniors-workforce-benefits-challenges-lee-a-mccue/
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “minted” mean? “Even if a senior is starting a job in a new field, he or she has already had years of work experience to help them be more professional and poised than many of the newly minted job prospects coming fresh out of high school or college.” Use it in a sentence.
- What does the phrase “open to the idea” mean? “Employers should be open to the idea of hiring senior citizens for their companies.” Use it in a sentence.
- What does “to hop from one thing to another” mean? “This is because they are not looking to advance their careers and they are less likely to hop from one job to another for higher salaries or better benefits.” Use it in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring senior citizens that the article mentioned?
- What is your opinion on continuing to work during your supposed retirement years?
- What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘old age’?
- For how long are you going to work and why?
- Does age discrimination in hiring practices occur in your country? How can you tell?
- What aspects of becoming a senior employee do you look forward to?
12 replies on “Seniors in the Workforce: Benefits and Challenges”
Vocabulary Questions:
1. “Minted” means new, recently released, Ex: The loot consisted of 100 coins minted in the 16th century.
2. To be “open to the idea” means to be willing to, to be prepared to face something new.
“You have to be open to the idea of having to learn more English if you want to get your certification”.
3. “To hop from one thing to another” means to change fast, to move “I´m always hopping from one issue to another, mi mind goes really fast”
Discussion Questions:
1. The pros and cons of hiring senior citizens mentioned in the article are the experience they bring with them, stability and serve as a role for younger employees
2. In a recent article I´ve read it was said that working during your supposed retirement years is a good idea while you have energy and want to be occupied , but as I see it, everybody deserves rest and have spare time.
3. The concept “old age” brings to my mind the last part of the life, when you are too old even to work.
4. I´m afraid I´ll have to work until I`ll be 67 years old or maybe less if I´m lucky and I won the lottery.
5. I´m of the opinion that age discrimination in hiring practices occurs everywhere but I have to admit that I don´t have any data to support my idea .
6. I hope by the time I reach “the old age” I have a secure and stable job, but if have to change job at this time and become a senior employee searching for a job, I will cross my fingers hopping to not suffer from age discrimination.
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1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring senior citizens that the article mentioned?
The advantages are they have more experience so they can help to improve other staff members and they tend to be more stable hires
The disadvantages are mainly they cannot handle technologys so easily
2. What is your opinion on continuing to work during your supposed retirement years?
I will not do it, maybe keep doing some technologies activities on my way but not in a managed projects like now
3. What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘old age’?
I think on a retired person i think because im getting older
4. For how long are you going to work and why?
I like to work until i have enough money to live the rest of the life and maintain somebody who are my responsability
5. Does age discrimination in hiring practices occur in your country? How can you tell?
About technologies skills i think yes. I think that younger people have more facilities to have tech skills, in general, but it depends on the person and life experience can help to learn anything, also technologies.
6. What aspects of becoming a senior employee do you look forward to?
I look fordward the self confidence that the experience gives to you.
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Newly Minted: Refers to somebody who has just finished his studies. “When I was newly minted I have less work experience than now”
Open to the idea: Refers to be prepare for bearing in mind. “I am open to idea to watch TV series in English to improve my listening skills.”
To hop from one thing to another: Refers to be constantly skipping one thing and continue with another. “I dont like to hop from one thing to another in my work tasks, I prefer going solving new issues little by little.”
1.
Advantage: more experience, professional and more prepared. More quiet, not searching for laboral progressions continuously. Role models for new employees.
Disadvatage: Less relible and not capable of performing their duties. More difficulties with new technologies.
2.
Not necessary. It is very important to have hobbies to be able to relax yourself without working. Workalcoholic
3.
Experience. Old customs. Bad technology.
4.
Until finishing all my targets. I am very focus on my work and I love them.
5.
Better hiring young people because they gain less money and it is easier to teach them as you want.
6.
Quiet in work. Experience. Not anxiety if you dont solve problems quickly.
You did well in writing your answers. To improve, make sure to write them in full sentences instead of phrases/fragments. Also include some details or explanations to express your points better.
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I think we have not just to see as seniors as old people who are so old to be retired. In my opinion, adult population in their 50’s to 60’s are considered as seniors when they are young! Did you hear the phrase; “the new 50’s are the old 40’s”? What I mean is that the society discriminates the middle age people as an old people, so if the middle age are discriminated against, we will imagine the senior people?!
I think that the most important thing is the freedom, what I mean is that any senior wants to continue working in his/her retirement ages, it is fantastic! But if only is beacause she or he wants, it will never be because she or he has not enough retirement pay. By the way, I have to say that not all jobs are able to continue working in senior ages. It means, it is not the same a financial manager than an installer, farmer, construction worker… The last ones are very hard and tired profession and it is not possible to keep working in certain ages…
But, it is namely this reason for my indignation in our system. The retirement age cannot be the same in all the jobs, it is not fair.
And finally, I am absolutely agree with the article. I think hiring senior is the best option because they are experienced workers and they know much more thanks to their experience. They will not have stupid ideas in their mind, so they will keep a good working environment in the work team. And on the other hand, having the opportunity to work with seniors is the best way to learn and to be better in your job.
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1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of hiring senior citizens that the article mentioned?
The advantages associated with hiring seniors basically are related to the significant experience and knowledge they have acquired during the past years of work experience. Moreover, they are more stable hires as they have lower expectations and furthermore, they can play the role of mentors and coaching the younger employees. Among the disadvantages, it is worth to mention the possible age discrimination and the prejudice that a senior will be less performing than a younger employee, especially because they are supposed to be not able to handle with new technologies and they will be more reticent in learning new things.
2. What is your opinion on continuing to work during your supposed retirement years? During my retirement, for sure I will keep working on projects I care about. Consequently, it will not be a work but rather a pleasure for me. Now, I am working for money on projects that the company have chosen for me. I am basically obliged to do that. I think that continuing working during retirement is basically normal for people who have spent their life for a purpose, or for a mission. For example, I cannot image myself without studying or researching about renewable and sustainable systems.
3. What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘old age’? The term ‘old age’ makes me think about people who have stopped learning and growing personally and professionally. I do not necessarily correlate this term to the exact age of a person.
4. For how long are you going to work and why? Personally, I believe I am very lucky because my work in my passion. I am an engineer, and I am very passionate for my work. In addition to the work that I do on daily basis for my company I am a researcher in the field of automation, natural gas, and energy. I cannot imagen me stopping studying or researching on these topics not even after the retirement. So, I think I will keep working endlessly because to contribute to energy system improvements is a mission for me.
5. Does age discrimination in hiring practices occur in your country? How can you tell? Yes, of course age discrimination is one of the more common problems that especially women have to face during their carrier among others. Women in their 40s have few chances to find a new job especially if they have interrupted their carrier to take care of children or family. Companies consider them as ‘obsolete’ and as not reliable employees.
6. What aspects of becoming a senior employee do you look forward to? As a senior employee, I can contribute to the company growing with the expertise and know-how that I have acquired in the previous decades. Moreover, senior employees are more likely to be able to manage tricky situations at office and with clients as they have probably already experienced them in the past.
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Vocabulary:
1. Minted: That is really new. Look at this coin, is freshly minted
2. open to the idea: Start to thing about it. You should be open to the idea that he will come with us
3. to hop from one thing to another: Change one thing to other. You jump from one country to another without being afraid, I’m a bit jealous.
Discussion:
1. The advantages are experience and the fact that they tend to be more stable than young people. The disadvantages are that some of they cannot handle technology as well as their younger counterparts.
2. It is important not to idealise the idea of working after retirement, as it is a step backwards in terms of social rights.
3. People that are in his last years of life.
4. I have been working for 6 years and I started in my last years of university to move in with my girlfriend.
5. I think so, but I can’t confirm it. I’ve seen a lot of posts on linkedin of people in their 50s complaining about not being hired because of their age.
6. I suppose that patience and knowing how to deal with certain situations due to age and experience
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For question # 3, remember to try to elaborate as much as possible to better explain or express your ideas.
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