THINK courier services, and speedy despatch riders on motorcycles come to mind. So Patrick Johnson Kandiah, 73, and Tong Yin Jin, 65, hardly seem to fit the bill.
But both became employees of Network Express Courier Services last year and now keep up with the hectic pace of its sorting room with the help of a deliberate redesign of jobs and new technology.
The company's employment policy on mature workers is one reason why managing director V S Kumar thinks Network Courier was named the Most Admired Enterprise in the Employment Category at the recent Asean Business Awards.
Sharing the story behind Network Courier's hiring of older workers, Mr Kumar says the plight of an old woman driven out of her home by the son she had raised single-handedly made a mark on him when he read about it in the newspapers some years back.
'I was determined that I must do something for the aunties and ah peks,' he says, admitting that 'mature workers' had not yet found its place in his vocabulary back then.
Initially, he was hard-pressed to find a role for older people at his company, and decided to help by donating rice through temples and mosques instead. 'At least people have to do something with their hands, they have to cook rice before they can eat,' he says, explaining his choice of gift.
Since then, with help from various schemes such as the Workforce Development Agency's ADVANTAGE! scheme, Network Courier has developed systems to accommodate mature workers. Bar code scanners and biometric finger scanners enhance workflow and enable workers such as Mr Kandiah and Mr Tong to earn their keep in a fast-paced environment.
Network Courier also introduced a 'Train Rider' scheme, allowing mature workers to work as couriers without compromising on efficiency. They hop on the MRT at Lavender - a short walk from the company's headquarters - and shuttle off with less urgent deliveries to train stops such as Novena and Raffles Place which are surrounded by destination offices. 'It's something we wanted to do - give these older people the opportunity to be employed, earn their own living. It gives them pride and dignity too,' Mr Kumar says.
The oldest member of his staff is 78-year-old tea-lady Cheong Mui Chai, who showed up last year seeking a job and was hired for her resolve to do anything if the company would only hire her. She now does far more than what 'tea-lady' dictates, seeking cleaning and tidying chores for herself to complete each day, Mr Kumar says.
Employing mature workers has benefited Network Courier too, says human resource manager Ponusamy Sugumari, because the company has identified another segment of the work force to meet its staff needs, while also fulfilling a social responsibility.
Mr Kumar is brimming with ideas on staff welfare - school bags bearing the company logo for employees' children, and buying standardised car plate numbers are some examples. The ideas are driven by his belief that 'the company is also family', he says.
'I am a person who loves people,' he says, and his employees testify to it. Ms Sugumari tells of how he set up medical appointments for her with his doctor when she fell ill. And when business manager Joel Bala's first child was born, his boss was the first visitor at the hospital.
Mr Kumar started out in the courier business as a despatch boy 25 years ago - his first motorcycle is on display in the office lobby - and started Network Courier from scratch after leaving his previous company in 1990. 'No one believed I could succeed, but I did. And if I could, I think that means other people can too,' he says. 'I want to see that, make that happen.'
Six of his current managers started out as despatch boys themselves, and have since risen up through the ranks. 'These are people who really have a passion for the business, really know what it's about,' Mr Kumar says.
Looking ahead, he says he realises that a younger generation of staff may not have the same sort of passion and determination bred from having worked their way up.
So he designed and implemented the computerised system that Network Courier's business now runs on. 'I wrote in all my 25 years of suffering and hardship, and our values and promises to the customers, it's all in there.'
This was both to ease employees' learning and working processes, and to ensure that the company's legacy is preserved.
'Don't think it's all nice talk and love you know, when we work we're like tigers and lions,' he says.
He has big plans for the company - an IPO in several years and international expansion via franchising.
He intends to retire after another 10 years, which is why the next generation of employees is key.
He takes pride in Network Courier's employee retention rate. More than a third of the 170-plus employees have worked with the company for over 10 years, and another 25 per cent for more than five years.
'I know every company will ask its staff, 'Why you leave?', but I ask them, 'Why you stay?' And they say, it's just one simple word - trust.'
Pointing to the slogan on the back of his name-card - 'Driven by passion, trust and relationships', he says: 'It's true, that's why our people stay.'
