Presidium Learning, Inc.

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1 Presidium Learning, Inc. Somerset, Kentucky Presidium Learning is a leader in Education Services Management (ESM). A recent inductee in the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing companies, their solutions include help desk and IT support, in addition to comprehensive student services. Presidium believes that overall quality increases when older workers are present in the workforce. Doug Miller, human resources administrator for Presidium, says, Strategic placement of older, more seasoned workers throughout the work environment has an immediate boost in morale for the entire company and has a direct impact on employee retention and loyalty. Presidium believes that senior workers are among the highest performers, and staff affectionately refer to them as their PRIDE, for Punctuality, Reliability, Integrity, Dependability, and Employability. To help address the peaks and valleys of higher education support, the Presidium contact center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. To facilitate the around-the-clock demand for service representatives and managers, the employees don t have shifts but rather have hours of availability, and the company works around employees schedule as much as possible. Employment at Presidium can be full time (with a flexible schedule) or part time for those workers who require fewer hours. After team members are employed for 90 days, they are eligible for full health-care benefits. In addition, employees receive excellent technology and customer-service skills training to serve them throughout their careers. More than 15 percent of the company s employees are 50 or older. The company has worked with Experience Works in the recruitment, training and job placement of many older workers. As an example of the company s commitment to the community, during off-peak months, Presidium opens up its training center to provide computer training to any and all Experience Works participants living in the area. Presidium has hired several qualified participants who have completed this training program. Presidium Learning utilizes a skills-based pay incentive based on the adage the more you learn, the more you earn. They believe that you re never too old to learn, and that has been proven by the fact that many of the highest-paid, customer-service representatives are older workers. 13

2 Bon Secours Richmond Health System Ri c h m o n d, Virginia As a religious healthcare organization, supported by a congregation of nuns known as the Sisters of Bon Secours, Bon Secours Richmond Health System is an organization that celebrates the contributions. Nearly a third of its employees are 50 or older with the oldest being 85. Bon Secours Richmond is a leader in providing programs that attract and retain older workers within the organization. The health system offers a state-ofthe-art phased retirement program that encourages older employees to work as long as they want, without pension penalties. They offer flexible schedules, job sharing, telecommuting, compressed work weeks, and a host of dependent care and work-life benefits. In 2006 and 2007, Bon Secours won the Alfred P. Sloan award for workplace flexibility. Training and education are also keys to Bon Secours ability to attract and retain older workers. They have an internal consulting group that emphasizes change management, team building, intergroup relations, coaching and mentoring. In addition to tuition prepayment and reimbursement, the organization recently expanded its nursing school including classes on the weekends and in the evenings and from this initiative, graduated a 62-year-old nurse. The organization regularly features stories about mature workers in its internal publications and in its marketing materials. But Bon Secours Richmond doesn t just promote and encourage older workers within the organization, they believe in sharing throughout the country their best practices about attracting, retaining and engaging mature workers. Finally, Bon Secours provides special programs to promote the health and wellness of all its workers, but pays special attention to the needs of its older workers. They provide employee health screenings, a quarterly health information newsletter, educational assistance in understanding health benefits, and have an incentive program for employees who participate in annual health risk appraisals. These efforts are paying off. For workers 50+, their retention rate grew by more than 300 percent from 2004 to They estimate that the increased retention has saved millions of dollars, just in avoiding the costs of recruiting and training new employees. 14

3 Harleysville National Bank Harleysville, Pennsylvania Harleysville National Bank (HNB), a division of Harleysville National Corporation, is a community bank with 54 offices in eastern Pennsylvania. Together with its East Penn Bank and Millennium Wealth Management divisions, Harleysville National Bank provides retail and commercial banking, loans, investment, trust, and insurance solutions to customers throughout its eight county footprint. The organization has been in business for nearly 100 years and has nearly 1,000 employees. Harleysville National Bank is committed to hiring, training and retaining mature workers. About 24% of HNB s workforce is over the age of 55 and they work in a variety of jobs throughout the company. Although turnover is frequently a problem in the banking industry, 25% of their employees have been with the company for more than 10 years. This stable and long-term workforce is recognized by customers who value the consistency and knowledge displayed by bank employees. D.M. Takes, president and CEO of Harleysville National Bank, says, We are a company that believes in hiring and retaining the best employees, regardless of age. The bank uses a number of strategies to attract and retain older workers, such as the availability of part-time positions in both salary and hourly jobs; using trained recruiters who recognize the value of mature applicants; availability of benefits for part-time employees, including paid vacation time and dependent coverage; accrued sick time that can be used for family needs; intermittent leaves and light work assignments; a robust 401k savings plan; early and phased retirement; internal transfers; financial planning tools, flex time and a highprofile, service-recognition program. A combination of the work environment, benefits and flexible hours help attract and keep older workers, says Human Resources SVP Liz Graham. Along with moving from full time to part time, there are also times when other jobs move from part time to full time. Our needs change and so do the needs of our workers. I like when we re able to do that. It s good for us and it s good for our employees. 15

4 THA Group Sava n na h, Ge o r g i a THA (The Healthcare Alternative) Group is a full-spectrum, in-home health care company that provides a variety of services to older people, ranging from geriatric care planning and management, to private duty care, certified nursing care and hospice care. They believe that caring for older home health clients creates a wonderful opportunity for meaningful jobs for seniors. Ellen Bolch, THA Groups CEO describes it as, Seniors helping seniors. She says, We have found that older people are ideal employees for our home care services. Many of these people already have experience taking care of loved ones at home. They have skills they can apply to this profession. Of their more than 90 home-care employees, more than 60% are 50 or older, and nearly 30% are more than 60 years old. The company reaches out to older people at job fairs and community groups and has partnered with Experience Works in the Savannah, Georgia area. Experience Works offers Certified Nurses Assistant (CNA) classes and the THA Group has been an important partner in providing job opportunities for seniors who graduate from this program. THA Group also provides additional training to all new in-home care staff on subjects such as CPR and care for Alzheimer s patients. THA Group began reaching out to seniors a number of years ago when they became concerned about the poor work ethic of some of their younger personal care aides. They operate a registry type employment system, where people can create their own schedules and decide on the number of hours they want to work. Older people respond well to this flexibility, but key to this type of system is that people must honor their commitments. Our older workers are very responsible, says Mrs. Bolch. Senior workers have a strong work ethic and commitment to the job. We can count on them. 16

5 Wahl Drug Store Hawley, Minnesota Will Grabow, owner of Wahl Drug Store, understands that older workers are good for business. He says, I need people that are trustworthy, flexible, and reliable. I also need people who relate well to my customers. That s why I hire older workers. For more than 40 years Mr. Grabow has operated general stores and pharmacies in the small town of Hawley. When you operate a business in a small town, customers get to know your staff, and rely on them. Good customer service skills are essential, says Mr. Grabow. We have a lot of older people who come into our stores with questions and they rely of us to be there to help. I can rely on my older workers to be on time and ready to work. I can also count on them to fill in at short notice. They all have a strong work ethic. Wahl Drug offers flexible work schedules, differentiated benefits, job sharing and will adjust the work environment to fit the needs of their workers. For example, stools have been made available to cashier stations and breaks are adjusted to fit staff needs. Of their 15 employees, more than half are over 65 and two employees are in their 70s. Jobs vary from cashier to cook, and even pharmacy technician. As the operator of a small business, it s particularly important that staff take their responsibilities seriously. If one person doesn t show up for work, it can leave a big void in the organization. Mr. Brabow knows he can count on his older workers. I am delighted with the excellent customer service skills our older workers bring to our small business. We have competition from large chains, but we are holding our own. I think the way we treat our customers has a lot to do with our success. Hiring older workers makes good business sense. 17