PREPARED STATEMENT - April 21, 1998
Before The Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives,
William S. Payson, President
THE SENIOR STAFF
P. O. Box 1382
Campbell, CA 95009-1382
(408) 371-9064; FAX (408) 371-3255; www.srstaff.com; srstaff@value.net
My name is William S. Payson. I am President and CEO of The Senior Staff Job Information Exchange, Inc. We are located in Silicon Valley, California and we manage and maintain the largest databank in the U.S. devoted to job information for the professional workforce over fifty. I reside at 1994 Josephine Avenue, San Jose, CA 95124.
We manage two databanks of job information: The first, about five years old, covers job titles from CEO to receptionist, and is limited to Silicon Valley. There are about 3,200 individuals in this database. We have a second, larger database of what we call "Legacy Professionals", old pros interested in helping to solve the greatest technology challenge in history, the Year 2000 Software Systems Crisis, often called "The Millennium Bug." We have about 10,000 professionals in this database from all over the world, although most people are in the USA and Canada.
I am not a computer technologist. I have been a management and marketing consultant for over 40 years. I started The Senior Staff for one simple reason: At age 70, I couldn't find a job. So I created one. And here's what I have learned in the last five years:
The largest untapped resource of skill & talent in America
is the professional workforce over 50.
This resource is ignored by many employers, especially high technology companies who are notoriously youth oriented and dedicated to the proposition that anyone over 35 is "over the hill." Such attitudes are wholly unwarranted and totally unsupported by facts, to wit:
30 million Americans over 50 want to work.
63% want to work because they are bored, want to be useful,
or their spouse has said, "Out of the house, or else!"
37% want to work because they need the money.
85% are willing to work in part-time, temporary, interim
or contract positions.
27% are willing to work on commission.
83% prefer telecommuting to on-site employment.
page two: William S. Payson
FABLES or FACTS?
The attitudes of many employers toward the professional workforce over 50 can be summarized by the following Fables, which many high-tech executives regard as Facts:
Fable 1. "Workers over 50 belong in a porch rocking chair." In fact, many prefer to stand on their feet in a productive working environment.
Fable 2. "They're slow." In fact, studies have shown that workers over 50 are actually more productive than many younger workers, having fewer errors and accidents.
Fable 3. "They won't stay long." In fact, professional workers over 50 are less transient, so they actually keep jobs longer. They don't "jump around."
Fable 4. "They're often out sick." In fact, studies show that seniors get higher marks for on-time and attendance than any other age group. Check your own office staff. How many "old timers" show up on the dot. . . head colds, snow and "Monday Blues" notwithstanding?
Fable 5. "Older workers can't hack it." In fact, the professional workforce over 50, comprises a huge reservior of experience and skill that companies ignore at their peril. Two examples: If we run into an economic down-turn, how many young managers have experienced a major recession? If you're out on the ocean and a hurricane is approaching, how comforting is it to learn that your skipper and crew have never been in a howling storm before?
Fable 6. "They are set in their ways and can't be taught a damn thing." In fact, seniors are the fastest growing demographic segment of internet users in the U.S. Example: In connection with the Year 2000 Crisis, employers told us that our database of older workers have great experience and high skills, but "they haven't done any of this stuff in ten years." In conjunction with the University of California, Santa Cruz, Extension, we have set up refresher courses for professional programmers. In the first course, twenty-some COBOL programmers with a total of over 250 years of programming experience spent their own money to brush up on the latest techniques in date conversion. We obtained a committment from a high-tech employer to interview all students who passed the course, and to reimburse any candidates they hired for the cost of their training. At latest count they have hired four... not a large number but it shows what can be done when employers, trainers and senior candidates work together to achieve a common objective.
page three: William S. Payson
Fable 7. "They are inflexible and unwilling to change." In fact, over the last five years in the job information business, I have come to the conclusion that the professional workforce over 50 is far more flexible and innovative than the employers themselves. . . who, I my opinion, are as dead set against change as the old monarchies of Europe. For instance, despite the fact that 83% of our database is ready, willing and able to telecommute. . . and the technology is here in place right now to do it. . . not a single Year 2000 employer will even consider telecommuting. They'll ship their data half way around the world to New Delhi. . . but not to Denver, or Boise, or Phoenix. . . where the old pros of America are standing by, ready to help.
SUMMARY
In my opinion, there are three reasons - - in addition to the above simplistic prejudices of ageism - - why the high-tech industry prefers foreign workers to America's professional workforce over 50:
1. Foreign workers are cheaper.
2. Foreign workers are easier to hoodwink.
3. Foreign workers are so anxious to come to America that
they willingly accept long hours, high pressure and
minimum benefits.
Utilizing the experience, skill and talent of the professional workforce over 50 will help all Americans meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Thank you very much.
REFERENCES:
In connection with the testimony of William S. Payson of The Senior Staff, April 21, 1998
THE COMMONWEALTH FUND
1 East 75th Street
New York, NY 10021
(212) 606-3853
Mary Mahon, Public Information Officer
The Commonwealth Fund, a major private foundation, conducted the definitive research on the workforce over fifty in a five year project completed in November, 1993.
SYSTEMS PARTNERS - IMI
Two Theatre Square, Suite 315
Orinda, CA 94563
(510) 254-3110
Steven H. Laine, Vice President
Systems Partners is a major technology consultant involved with Year 2000 challenges facing such clients as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab & Co. Systems Partners has hired workers from The Senior Staff databank, retrained by UCSC Extension, Cupertino, California.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ, EXTENSION
10420 Bubb Road
Cupertino, CA 95014-4150
(408) 342-0306
Sandra Clark, Director, Corporate Training Programs
UCSC Extension is providing refresher training for experienced technologists in connection with the Year 2000 crisis. UCSC Extension also offers a wide range of technology courses in Computer Science & Engineering, Hardware and Systems Technologies and Software Technologies.
AUTOMATION TRAINING SPECIALISTS
3180 De La Cruz Boulevard, Suite 105
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(408) 748-9891
Frances T. Nevarez, President
ATS provides technical training for such high-tech industry leaders as Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin and AT&T. They are currently training Senior Staffers in connection with the Year 2000 problem as it affects the huge number of companies comprising the U.S. Vendor Supply Chain.