POLL
NewWHAT’S
23%
OF PEOPLE 50 TO 64 WHO ARE
OVERWEIGHT THINK
THEY ARE NORMAL WEIGH T.
Source: Harris Interactive
AGE 23
AGE 49
AGE 66
AGE 71
AGE 16
AGE 55
THE RIGHT STAFF
Employees at the Village Market
in Wilton, Connecticut, range
from teens to people 70-plus.
How to excel in the most age-diverse workforce in history
B Y LAURA DAIL Y PHOTOGRAPH B Y ERIN PA TRICE O’BRIEN
Trends
My Coworker
Is Just a Kid!
For the first time since 1948, as older workers delay retirement
because of the recession, Americans age 65 and up outnumber
teens in the workforce. That means four generations are working together—which can cause age-related workplace angst.
Take Mary Sue Wildman: When a 20-something manager was
hired in her department at The Broadmoor, a resort in Colorado
Springs, the veteran concierge had concerns. “I worried that a
lack of life experience or maturity might lead to poor decisions
for the team,” says Wildman, 65, whose colleagues range from
INFOGRAPHIC: MATTHEW HOLLISTER; WORKFORCE SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
14 AARP THE MAGAZINE
