1. Do you hire older workers or younger workers?

Explain your choice. Two weeks ago, you were pleased to receive a fat envelope from the U.S. government awarding your aeronautics company several hefty contracts with the Department of Defense.165 As a result of the contracts, you’ll have to increase production, so you immediately placed ads in the local paper for four skilled mechanics.

Résumés have been fl ooding in, and to your surprise, the prospective applicants fall into one of two groups.

In addition to the usual crop of inexperienced youngsters eager to start their careers, you have an equally large pool of retired mechanics, many of them older than 65.

They’ve spent their entire lives building planes and now want to work only 15 to 20 hours a week.

2. What challenges can you foresee in managing a multigenerational work force? Two weeks ago, you were pleased to receive a fat envelope from the U.S. government awarding your aeronautics company several hefty contracts with the Department of Defense.165 As a result of the contracts, you’ll have to increase production, so you immediately placed ads in the local paper for four skilled mechanics.
Résumés have been fl ooding in, and to your surprise, the prospective applicants fall into one of two groups.
In addition to the usual crop of inexperienced youngsters eager to start their careers, you have an equally large pool of retired mechanics, many of them older than 65.
They’ve spent their entire lives building planes and now want to work only 15 to 20 hours a week.