AARP released it’s list of “Best Employers for Workers over 50″ list for 2007. Although S.C. Johnson topped the list of 50, what caught my eye is the dominance of health care and non-profits in the annual ranking. Companies apply to be listed, and AARP judges the applicants based on a range of human resources practices and policies, including recruiting practices, training, education, career development opportunities and flexible work arrangements. Retiree and health benefits are also considered. It’s interesting to see that business is under-represented here compared with other sectors of the economy. I threw the list on a spreadsheet and did a quick analysis; 52 percent of organizations listed are in the health sector; about a third were publicly-held or private companies like S.C. Johnson.

Business awareness of attracting and retaining older workers does seem to be on the rise; just 22 percent of last year’s AARP listees were public or private companies.

Civic Ventures and the Metlife Foundation announced a program of grants to community colleges to help foster training programs for Boomers interested in moving into health care and social services. Ten community colleges will each receive $25,000 grants. This is interesting because the huge network of community colleges across the U.S. could play a big role in training older adults for new careers. Civic Ventures also published a white paper outlining the opportunity, called “Encore Colleges.” The study notes a looming talent shortage in the public interest sector as boomers retire–but also points to data that “half of Americans in their 50s and 60s are interested in jobs that improve their communities–but [don’t] believe that finding such employment would be easy.”

Factoid from Newsweek: 50+ Boomers are jumping into second careers as truckdrivers in record numbers. At some trucking companies, older Boomers now account for a third or more of personnel:

These numbers are good news for trucking companies. A 2005 study showed the industry has a shortage of 20,000 drivers—many workers have been lost to better-paid construction jobs—that will likely increase to 111,000 by 2014, out of about 3 million drivers total. By tapping into the baby-boomer market—largely empty nesters, or second-career seniors who have experienced burnout or layoffs—carriers hope they will be able to keep their rigs running.

Truckin’ Boomers quoted in Newsweek include a former IBM engineer and a laid off healthcare worker. Both said they don’t want to be tied down to desks anymore, and that they love the freedom of the open road.

BusinessWeek’s Marshall Goldsmith has a good Q&A with management consultant Bill Byham on his new book, 70: The New 50. The interview does rehash alot of the well-trodden issues on retention of older workers–are we facing a major brain drain (not necessarily), will Boomers want to keep working past traditional retirement age (yes). Etc.

But Goldsmith quizzes Byham on two questions that interest me very much–why aren’t companies working more aggressively to retain and rehire older workers, and what are the best practices? Here’s the verbatim:

What’s holding organizations back from actively retaining or rehiring older workers?

There are two reasons: 1) inadvertent discrimination and misunderstanding about the skills, motivations, and attitudes of older workers, and 2) fear that they won’t be able to get rid of poorly performing older workers. This is the big unspoken issue. Up until now, organizations have let many poor performers “coast to retirement.” Given the chance to continue to work, organizations fear that many will want to stay longer and that organizations will have to face up to poor performance.

How are progressive organizations dealing with older workers?

They’re getting select older workers to stay on longer. They are rehiring select people after they’ve retired (sometimes necessary because of how their benefit plan is structured). They are hiring select older workers who have retired from other organizations.

I am emphasizing “select” people—the people who have the critical skills, knowledge, contacts, or wisdom; the people who are successful in their current jobs and wish to continue to work. I am not suggesting that organizations should try to get everyone to work longer. For organizations, retaining successful people is a good bet because it is highly likely that their past success will continue on in extended employment.

All this suggests that companies will do well to develop HR professionals who specialize in recruitment and retention of older workers. This probably will develop into a specialized area of HR practice, not too different from diversity management.

An increasing number of executives are changing their careers at mid-life or later, a Korn/Ferry International survey finds. The survey on “re-careering” polled 273 Korn/Ferry consultants on the trends they see in the employment market. Asked if they have seen an increase in the number of executives who are “re-careering,” 42 percent of the firm’s consultants replied “absolutely” and 20 percent replied that they are seeming “somewhat” of a trend in this direction. And 63 percent said they perceive more opportunities opening up for career shifters.

Korn/Ferry’s consultants cited a range of motivations for career changes, including boredom with retirement, sense of productivity, the need for intellectual challenge and insufficient retirement funds. Smaller numbers cited as motivating factors the need for social interaction, a need for daily structure after retirement or increased life expectancy.

The non-profit sector is bracing for a big wave of volunteer help in the years ahead as Boomers age and re-mix their career priorities. That’s the good news–and the bad– according to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which released a report on trends in volunteerism March 7th at the at the Joint Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging. Seems Boomers are volunteering at higher rates than earlier generations–but retaining and keeping them engaged is proving tougher than expected for non-profits.

Key findings:

• The surge of aging Baby Boomers will increase volunteering by older adults by 50 percent by the year 2020 – and double the number of older adult volunteers by the year 2036.

• Boomers in their late 40s to mid-50s are volunteering at higher rates than did members of previous generations.

• The volunteer activities that hold most appeal for Boomers are management functions, music or performance, and tutoring, mentoring and coaching.

• The more often Boomers volunteer, the more likely they are to volunteer again.

• Boomer volunteers who engage in general labor or supply transportation regularly drop out of volunteering.

• Remaining in the workforce increases the likelihood that a Boomer will continue to volunteer.

Speaking at the conference, David Eisner—CEO of CNCS—worried about other stats in the study underscoring the need for non-profits to re-tool their approach to Boomer volunteers.

“They like challenging and substantial opportunities,” he said. “And they vote with their feet. We are looking at attrition rates among Boomer volunteers of 30 percent ever year. The non-profit sector is doing a poor job providing opportunities and the type of management of these volunteers it takes to keep them fulfilled.”

“Boomers are more discerning about the basics. If they feel their time is being wasted, they’ll drop out. So, the basics of volunteer management are important.”

CNCS administers the federal Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs. The study, “Volunteering among older Americans” is based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.