Career Evolution

My contract at the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations (OSSCO) ends at the end of June.

I’ve been connecting the dots and thinking about my next employment gig.

I am a Human Resources Professional.

I have always had a welcoming demeanour.

At Combined Insurance whenever an employee dropped into the HR department, I would drop what I was doing and tend to the employee’s enquiry.  I always wanted an employee to feel that they are the most important person in the world in the moment.  I listened and always made eye contact.

When I am talking to two or more people, I shift my gaze from one speaker to the next, so that no person feels excluded.

When I facilitated Committee meetings, I made sure that everyone felt they had a voice.  We had an unspoken rule about 1 person holding the floor at any one time and staying on topic.  Most times Committee members felt comfortable to share their perspective.  Occasionally if we didn’t hear from a member, we’d ask that person what they were thinking.  As a meeting facilitator I learned early on that diversity in perspectives is a good thing!     

At OSSCO, I was hired for a project called “Enhancing Economic Opportunities for Older Workers 50+.”  We offered four workshops (job search, business start-up, encore careers and retirement planning) to help unemployed job seekers 50+ to explore their options.  

  

During the project I had an opportunity to facilitate 4 job search workshops and co-facilitate 1 encore careers workshop.  The job search workshop was a 2-day workshop.  The encore careers workshop was a half-day workshop.  The longest meeting that I facilitated (prior to the workshops) was 1.5 – 2.0 hours.   Facilitating a 2-day workshop was a welcome challenge to grow my facilitation skills.

I was happy to share my HR/recruitment experience (20+ years) with workshop participants.  I empathized with workshop participants as I am in the same age demographic.

We heard comments where workshop participants were told that they were too old for a job (ageism).  We learned that attendees were happy to come to our workshops where they could share stories with people of similar ages and life experiences.   We learned that our workshops were helping to reduce the social isolation that all job seekers feel.  Through this project I empathized with older job seekers and realized that older workers become marginalized when they can’t find a job.  

I enjoy my work at OSSCO.  I feel I am helping older job seekers.  I was asked to organize meet-ups and invite speakers.  I went into my LinkedIn network and asked a few select connections if they would be interested in coming to OSSCO and volunteering to speak on an employment-related topic.  To my delight people accepted my invitations!  It doesn’t hurt to ask people.  I feel that my professional relationships with these speakers will grow stronger.  In some cases I met a speaker for the very first time.  When you meet face-to-face and share time together, an instant bond is created.  The next time we are in contact we’ll remember the time that they came to OSSCO and gave a talk.     

The speakers who came to OSSCO had an impact on our attendees.  I know that attendees came away with at least one idea that will help them in their job search.  As well, the meet-ups provided a perfect opportunity for attendees to network and to reduce social isolation that they might be feeling.

As mentioned earlier I am thinking about my next gig.

Diversity and Inclusion is an area that I will explore.

I am an HR professional. At OSSCO, I have come to appreciate the challenges of older workers and that there is ageism.  I felt that I was a part of a community of older job seekers. 

I’ve always been aware that if you want to make someone feel included that you become aware of your eye contact with them.  Asking questions and listening make people feel that you are interested in them. 

If I get to work in Diversity and Inclusion, I believe it is important that employees feel a sense of community within the organization.  It’s important that employees feel that they have a voice.  Organizations that provide an opportunity for employees to join clubs or associations can help an employee to feel a sense of belonging and that they are not alone.    

I learned early on when facilitating meetings that diversity in perspectives is a good thing. 

I asked one of my HR friends what they thought about diversity and inclusion.  Here is what he said:

“The more diverse an organization is, the more chances of the workplace being more innovative & it eventually helps the society at large. In today's fragmented world where people are so divided for so many reasons, enhancing diversity & inclusion will bridge the divide.”

I agree wholeheartedly with my friend.

Also Published on LinkedIn on: June 10, 2017

Image Credit: Pixabay