Recruiting retirees for part-time and project work can bring a lot to the table for businesses and younger workers.

Nearly 25% of the U.S. workforce is now at or near retirement age, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In industries like insurance, healthcare, finance and education, the loss of experienced talent is already being felt. Roles remain unfilled longer. Productivity dips. Mentorship gaps widen.

While companies’ recruiting efforts are typically related to recruiting and retaining younger talent, a quiet opportunity is being overlooked: bringing retirees back into the fold. Tapping into the retiree population ensures that the next generation of workers is well prepared and well positioned.

Retirees offer both hard and soft skills that are difficult for companies to find. These skills include:

• Institutional knowledge—understanding legacy systems, regulations, workflows and client histories.
• Maturity and judgment developed from years of navigating change and challenges.
• Mentorship capacity — the ability to train, support, and stabilize teams in transition.
• Reliability, negotiation skills and a work ethic honed through decades of experience.

Many retirees are eager to engage, but the infrastructure for finding the right opportunities simply hasn’t kept pace.

For many retirees, short-term or part-time work is the ideal fit: It offers purpose, structure, social interactions and income without the long-term commitment of full-time employment. For companies, these engagements can help fill gaps quickly, with skilled talent and affordably — no need to pay for healthcare and other benefits.