The young-boss-older-employee dilemma
Loyalty is also a difference. Two older employees are celebrating their 20-year anniversaries with the company, Arlinghaus says, while the younger ones rotate in and out more frequently.
As for Schneider, one of his frustrations stems from no longer being in charge. After selling his business last year, he realized just how much he missed working. So he went to work for Schroder's auto parts recycling business Car-Part.com. The Kentucky-based Web site helps consumers find used auto parts. Schneider's wealth of experience is a huge addition to the 10-year-old company. He works in industry relations for the Web site from his home base in Washington state.
"The only thing that's been an issue is a little bit of eagerness on my part to get things done, because I made my own decisions before," says Schneider. "I don't have that same freedom now, so I have to go through the channels."
Lots of older workers deal with that — especially since they're not necessarily working out of need. "I'm still productive," says Schneider. "I get up at a reasonable hour. The older generation hasn't quite aged to their years." Schneider also went back to work to get health insurance.
His boss, 45-year-old Schroder, deals with the generation gap by recognizing Schneider's years of experience and expertise. After all, that's why he hired him in the first place. Instead of Schroder telling Schneider what to do, they meet regularly to discuss which projects Schneider wants to work on.
"I need to be very much in tune with what he needs," says Schroder. "It's a great thing to have an employee who has such a high level of expectations. It raises the bar for everyone."
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