Executives nearing retirement will be seeking a more gradual bridge to their golden years.
A new survey from Robert Half International, a staffing services firm specializing in accounting and finance, suggests many will be going into business for themselves.
Seventy-five percent of chief financial officers interviewed said they view consulting as an attractive way to ease into retirement. The most commonly cited reason: 47 percent of respondents cited the chance to remain in the workforce, while working fewer hours. Also mentioned were the chance to earn money to supplement retirement income (38 percent) and gaining experience from working for a variety of firms (11 percent).
The survey, conducted by an independent research firm, was based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs across the U.S.
CFOs were asked, "How attractive would you find the prospect of consulting when you approach retirement?" Their responses were:
- Very attractive: 27 percent.
- Somewhat attractive: 48 percent
- Not attractive at all: 24 percent
- Don't know/refused: 1 percent
According to Robert Half, consulting enables experienced professionals to maintain many of the benefits of work, including challenging assignments, competitive compensation and intellectual stimulation, while still allowing time to pursue personal interests. And companies stand to benefit by allowing those nearing retirement to take on mentoring roles, ensuring that the expertise and knowledge of older workers are retained and passed on to other employees.
More at: www.roberthalfmr.com.
