PERFORMIA is an international organization operating in 30 countries around the world, where thousands of companies have already improved their prosperity thanks to well-built teams full of productive people. In the Czech Republic, the company consists of 21 employees. Its purpose is to support companies with valuable products or services in the area of team building. The company organizes regular lectures, seminars, and workshops to impart comprehensive know-how and effective online tools that make employee selection and management more successful in the hands of companies, not only small and medium-sized but also large ones. They can then fulfil their own goals, grow and prosper.

PERFORMIA in the Czech Republic is a relatively small company. Its employees work mainly in consulting and it has several senior employees. When selecting its new employees, the overall attitude of the person selecting the new employees and the absence of age prejudice play a role. They do not insist on recruiting only young people and welcome any age of incoming employees. A willingness to work, a results orientation, and previous experience are important for them. If an employee proves that he has worked very efficiently for several decades and has a willingness to work, this is an indicator for them that the person will want to be useful and achieve certain results. They are also aware that, depending on their age, senior employees will not be as efficient as in their previous life, but will still want to feel valid. The willingness to learn, change and adapt to a certain work environment is also an essential measure for them. If the employee meets the above, he can then join the team. The company desires a various and age-diverse team; the age of the employee does not matter to them at all. On the contrary, they prefer to hire employees who have a proven track record of good production, are helpful, and put their heart into their work. With a relatively small team, they make great effects, are open to all people, and try to retrieve their hidden potential.

The company appreciated the approach of a particular senior employee who has been through a lot already and came up with the suggestion himself that he would like to pass on his experience to a younger, junior employee. After giving him this chance, the employee subsequently became more energized, enjoyed his work, and found it all more fulfilling. His psyche improved, production increased, and also the frequency of the original dramatization decreased. He was given a new task, a mission, and it became very beneficial not only to the company.

There is no specific resistance to the adaptation of the seniors in the company. However, obstacles may be, for example, the employee’s own work habits and style and new demands to which he is not accustomed due to years of previous work somewhere else. It is a little harder for such an employee to adapt and some of the new rules are more challenging for him at the beginning, but if the employee is willing, he will eventually adapt successfully. In such cases, communication with the individual is very important, explaining the reasons and arguing so that he understands the procedures and is willing to accept the specific different rules. The overall adaptation of such an employee, including discussions, then takes 1-2 months. It is more demanding and time-consuming, but in the end, it brings benefits to both parties.

They recommend that in the case of recruiting older employees, but also the existing ones, specific guidelines and detailed instructions related to the concrete job for employees need to be introduced and updated with a more consistent and detailed description of the reasons why certain steps are being proceeded certain way. These can relieve questions and explanations later on. They also suggest to employers to have more understanding of their new senior workers and to do the previous testing of job candidates with a help of specific tests and questionnaires. This way, more information about a particular employee can be obtained and it may subsequently be easier for employers to decide whether to hire the certain employee.

Senior employees need to be treated individually wherever possible, which is time-consuming but serves its purpose. The key is to understand and recognize personal strengths and to use them to the full. The better you can get to know the employee, the easier it will be to integrate them into the work process, use their strengths, and realize their full potential. On the other hand, it is needed to pre-treat employees´ weaknesses so that they manifest as little as possible in the work process.

They also suggest not to assume that the older employee will know everything, but find out what the employee is not fully proficient in. It is therefore advisable to continuously support their training and qualification. If caught early, there may be no time delays and the employee, including the company, can move on faster.

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