Building a Diverse Supply Chain Workforce Series: Tapping the Experience of Older Workers
Article from MHI Solutions Magazine
As labor shortages continue to challenge supply chains across the U.S., many companies are reevaluating long‑held hiring practices. With frontline positions in warehousing, distribution and manufacturing increasingly hard to fill, talent acquisition leaders are turning to a demographic long overlooked: mature workers.
These are individuals typically over the age of 50—many retired or semi‑retired—who bring deep experience, a strong work ethic and a stabilizing presence to operations. Tapping this labor pool could be a game‑changer for operations facing hiring challenges.
Experience Over Assumptions
“The traits that mature people bring to the workforce are maturity, stability, reliability and knowledge about warehousing and manufacturing practices,” James Bourke, an instructor and lecturer in supply chain management at City Colleges of Chicago, said. “This gives older workers the ability to need little or no training. They can start doing the job right away…
