Recently, my sister, who has operated her own company for the past 10 years, sold the business at the age of 49 and found herself working again in the corporate world in New York City. She might as well be working on the other side of the world because everything that seems to be happening around her and to her seems foreign.

I've spent hours translating the behaviors she is experiencing into a language she can understand. On what seems like a daily basis I am providing her with e-mail responses that she cuts and pastes into her own e-mail address before responding to the actions of her superiors. She is fortunate to have such a resource. Others aren't so lucky.

This situation has gotten me thinking. How many companies today are still managing seasoned, experienced personnel as if they were entry-level workers? My guess is "too many."

The average age of the workforce is increasing steadily as baby boomers delay retirement. Companies must adapt their policies and train their managers how to deal with this sector of the workforce or they will find themselves without anyone to fill the empty chairs.

Here are some ways to get started:

Give them R-E-S-P-E-C-T - Aretha Franklin sang about it, but it's more than just a song. Companies need to embrace what the mature worker brings to the table. Instead of dismissing their ideas as gibberish, acknowledge their perspective and listen for those pearls of wisdom that can only come from experience.

Recognize the technically challenged - Today's young managers can't imagine a time when people grew up without their own personal computers. No, I'm not talking about prehistoric times. I'm talking about those of us that grew up in the 50's and 60's. While there are many people who have adapted well to the use of technology, there are others who are still adjusting.

Start by taking a look at how your organization trains its workforce. One size no longer fits all. Computer-based training may work well for the younger set, but the more mature worker may do better with one-on-one training. Explain this to your managers and encourage them to choose the type of training that will work best based on the needs of their employees. This one small step can help eliminate the frustration that often escalates when one party wants to learn something and the other party believes that they should be able to figure it out themselves.

Set appropriate expectations - My sister just got her first pay raise since being reemployed in the corporate world. When she called to tell me the news I was ready to congratulate her. Here's how the conversation went:

Sister: "Can this be right?"

Me: "Can what be right?"

Sister: "I just got a 29-cent raise after being in my job for a year. Surely this is a mistake."

Me: "Is the percentage between 3 and 4 percent?"

Sister: "Just below 3 percent."

Me: "Congratulations, you've received an average increase."

Sister: "What do you mean? I used to give my employees 50 cents to $1.00 per hour increases."

Me: "Silly you. Perhaps you should have called me before doing so."

Inform employees up front that your salary increases are averaging a certain percentage to avoid surprises like the one described above. If my sister's company would have done this they could have easily avoided this employee relations mess. Oh, and did I mention that this increase just showed up in her paycheck without any salary discussion from her supervisor? But that's a whole other article.

Understand their view of the corporate ladder - Many younger managers assume that everyone wants to go up a rung on the corporate ladder. This couldn't be further from the truth. Like an animal that feels threatened, younger managers often go into defense mode when dealing with more experienced members of their staff. This kind of behavior, throughout your organization, probably won't help you capture too many employer awards.

Like diversity initiatives, managers and supervisors need to be taught how to embrace the differences each generation brings to the workplace and how to leverage these differences to create a more powerful organization. This starts with open dialogue, which leads to better understanding. Training supervisors and managers how to motivate an inter-generational workforce should be incorporated into everyone's training.

There are lots of people like my sister who have recently re-entered the workplace. Smart organizations will start paying attention to the needs of seasoned professionals so they can retain this valuable sector of the workforce.

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Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the principal of Human Resource Solutions and is also a NEHRA member. She can be reached at (617) 566-8978 or .