You see, a lot of people unjustly avoid hiring close-to-retirement people, but this kind of practice has several great advantages. First of all, these people have the necessary experience, so if they can’t be a backbone of your workforce, they could at least act as mentors. Furthermore, seeing how in 2017, the greatest part of your staff consists of millennials, hiring someone a bit older may give your company a new perspective. Still, keep in mind that these people are most likely to retire directly from your company, which is something you need to be ready for. With this in mind, here are a few nice ideas on how to make this event even more special for them.
1. Office retirement party
One of the things you need to make clear from the very start is that your company is grateful to the person retiring for all the hard work they have done. You’ve heard it right, not you personally, not their fellow coworkers, the company as a collective. This is why it might be a great idea to throw an office retirement party for them and in this way show your appreciation.
You don’t have to do anything lavish or expensive. Make a simple get-together where coworkers will get to mingle and share their stories, play games and enjoy free drinks and snacks. It would also be a nice touch if you were to make a presentation consisting of images of the person retiring in their workplace and thus commemorate an era that is now coming to an end. In a way, this can also become a walk down the memory lane for your company, seeing how most of their career might mirror your company’s past.
Finally, this could boost the office morale, seeing how it will show all your employees that you will be there for them until the very end. Sure, it is still highly unlikely that a 20-years old intern will be with you until their retirement, but it could still help them develop a sense of brand loyalty.
2. A retirement gift
Whether you decide to make a party or not, your employee will at least expect a retirement gift. This, however, is not such an easy choice as you may initially assume. You need something meaningful, which means either something that symbolizes their effort for the company, something valuable or something could use later on.
When it comes to symbolic gifts, it is vital that every member of the collective participates in this effort. In other words, every member of the collective needs to give their contribution. Another great idea would be to give them an industry-specific gift, like a personalized item they used to sell or make for the previous several decades. Finally, you could also be a bit more practical and have everyone pitch in for one of those handy corporate gift cards. The message you are sending this way is that the choice of the gift is completely in their hands.
3. A temporary ‘promotion’
One of the most creative ideas for a person who has spent their entire career in one or several similar positions is to promote them during their last week at work. It goes without saying that you don’t really have to make it official or have them make decisions that will affect the future of the company. All you should do is move them to an office and give them all the honors of being the boss. Although symbolic, this is probably one of the most creative ways to bring tears to their eyes. Needless to say, this should also go with a VIP parking spot.
4. Public recognition
Finally, even if you are the best boss in the world and do these things quite often, it will never lose its meaning to the person on the other end of the line. You see, sometimes all that one needs from their boss (or better yet company) is a friendly pat on the back and acknowledgement that they are performing their job admirably. Still, saying this in private never has the same weight like doing it in front of their peers. In fact, it might even be a good idea to present them with a certificate of achievement.
Conclusion
While some of the above-mentioned steps may be quite difficult to organize, keep in mind that the person in question has more than earned it. Sure, for your company, losing them poses as a big change, but that is nothing compared to what’s in store for them. With this in mind, you need to find the right way to reassure them that everything is going to be just fine. You also need to show them that all the hard work and dedication they demonstrated over the previous decades were not in vain.
About Author
My name is Alex Williams. I am a journalism graduate and a rookie blogger trying to find my luck. Blogs are the perfect opportunity for presenting yourself to the wider audience, getting the chance to showcase my expertise and receiving recognition. I am a regular contributor at Bizzmark Blog | Facebook | Twitter
