Being a tradie seems like it’s now a young mate’s game, after all there’s a huge physical component involved and you’re often working in less-than-ideal conditions. But old mates are actually worth their weight in gold and, besides dealing with the heavy-lifting without whining about it, they also have a wealth of patience and experience that the young bucks just don’t. So here’s why you shouldn’t be so quick to rule out the older tradies.
They have tonnes of experience
This one’s probably one of the most important reasons why older tradies are beneficial to your team – not only will they likely have a lot of experience in their trade, but they also have a tonne of life experience too so they’ll come in handy in ways you never thought of, offering advice and solutions from an experienced perspective.
They’ve built up a strong work ethic
Older workers have already been through the party-on-a-school-night phase and they’re actually often less likely to slack off because they’ve had the time and experience to realise that this role is what they like to do and what they’re good at. They know the value of their work and they get the job done without a fuss.
They know who’s who
With all their years of working and socialising, older tradies know who’s who in the industry. They know who’s a decent bloke and who’s not, and they can probably introduce you to key players who could help you and your business thrive. They can also help you to grow as a manager/business owner because they know what makes a good boss and aren’t afraid to tell you.
They’re good in a crisis
They’ve been around the block a few times and seen a lot of different problems and situations so it would have to take something pretty big to faze them. So when something does go wrong and a problem arises, they’ll likely take it in their stride and know how to keep everyone calm and figure out a solution to get the issue sorted.
Older workers are definitely valuable, but that’s not to say younger workers aren’t too – each brings with them different strengths and weaknesses and getting a mix of ages together is your best bet to create a kick-ass team!