Poor hearing affects applicant’s chances

Ayouthful-looking applicant walks into a job interview with wellgroomed hair, a gleaming smile and a professional suit. She looks fabulous, right?

Not necessarily. What happens if an applicant sits down, the interviewer starts asking questions and the applicant suddenly realizes she can’t really hear the questions?

She leans in, furrows her brows and hunches her shoulders. She scrunches her eyes and strains with all her might to understand what sounds like a low mumble.

How does she look now? Most interviewers will wonder why the applicant looks so uncomfortable. As they watch the confidence slip from her face, interviewers probably will think it’s time to move on to the next candidate.

“Treating hearing loss early is no longer an option, it is a career imperative,” said Dr. Sergei Kochkin, executive director of the Better Hearing Institute (BHI).

“Great workplace communication is critical to both job performance and to getting a job,” he said. “Great communication

starts with great listening — and great listening starts with the ability to hear.”

In the United States, about 31.5 million people suffer from hearing loss. That number includes three out of 10 people ages 60 and older, according to BHI.

With today’s economy, many of these seniors either need to postpone retirement or return to work. Sixty percent of workers over 60 are postponing retirement due to the impact of the financial crisis on their long-term savings, according to a recent national survey of employers.

Those seniors re-entering the work force are competing against younger workers who are eager to scoop up the jobs.

Excellent listening skills are ranked by employers as highly desirable job attributes. Fully 73 percent of employers surveyed by ACT, a college and workforce planning organization, ranked listening among “extremely important” job skills.

So, while people may feel they can’t be seen wearing a hearing aid in order to look young, they are much more likely to be perceived as “old” — and less capable — if they ignore their hearing needs and are unable to be effective listeners.

Before going in for an interview, follow these tips.

• Take the free, easy, online hearing check offered by the Better Hearing Institute at www.hearingcheck.org.

• If you think you may have hearing loss, see a hearing health professional immediately to get your hearing tested.

• If you have a hearing loss that can be treated with hearing aids — and 95 percent of hearing losses can be improved with hearing aids — get fitted for them.

• Start wearing your hearing aids immediately and see what a difference they make in your life.

Now, go into the interview with your hair combed, your clothes pressed and confident in your hearing — and listen up. The job could be yours.

To learn more about hearing loss, visit the Better Hearing Institute’s Web site at www.betterhearing.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARACONTENT Employers hire people with good listening skills. Listening requires good hearing — and 95 percent of hearing losses can be improved with hearing aids.