Obviously, older workers have a lot to offer (experience, mostly). But attracting that talent takes can be more difficult than with the recently-graduated or the middle-aged. Unlike younger workers, many of them can afford to work part-time or retire – or at have the ability to be more selective about who they work for.

New strategies

Here are some of the best ways companies can create an appealing environment for older talent:

• Flexible arrangements, such as part-time work and flextime: This can be a good tool for recruiting everyone, but it’s especially the case for older workers, who may no longer want – and often no longer have to, work a traditional full-time schedule.
• Phased retirement options: That’s a good way to attract people who are thinking about retirement, and to urge current employees approaching that age to stick around a little longer.
• The right sources: Older workers aren’t necessarily looking for jobs the same way as an everyone else, and some niche job boards and other Web sites have opened up specifically to help older people find work. (Check out the AARP’s site, for example.)

Read more about the importance of the older labor pool here.