Thinking about the best minds for your company? The tech whiz straight out of college starting his or her own side business might seem like the best bet, but another one is a little more surprising: the 60-year-old down the street.

So why is hiring mature employees a good idea? We’re glad you asked.

That and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

Wisdom of the ages: When it comes to bringing skills and savvy into your workplace, hiring Grandma might be the best move for your company, according to an article from Inc. Older workers might have millennials beat, at least in some categories. “Once a worker turns 40, they are considered part of the aging population. But that may be just when many are hitting their stride and reaching the pinnacle of their professional skill set,” writes Eric V. Holtzclaw. Some reasons to hire “mature” (read: over 40) employees: They already have a work history, lower-costing health benefits thanks to Medicare and lack of dependents, and flexible schedules. What do you think older employees bring to the workplace?

Bright ideas: How has your company begun its innovation makeover this year? Kerry Stackpole, president of the Printing & Graphics Association MidAtlantic, offers several tips on how companies can innovate and stay competitive in the workplace on his Wired 4 Leadership blog. For starters, more than 70 percent of executives surveyed in a recent report say that promoting domestic innovation over imported innovation should be a strong consideration—yet an equal number say open markets are essential. Other ideas? Look to startups for new ideas, play nice with your neighbors (collaborate), and lean on policymakers to effect real change. What are you doing differently this year?

What’s in a word? Now that we’re three weeks into 2013, have you decided what your focus is? To try and narrow it down, the 2013 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report asked two open-ended queries about what excited executives and what scared them. The answers form a visually appealing word cloud, highlighting trends such as well-structured communications plans, strategic use of social media, and reaching a whole new audience. Most scary thoughts? Inability to keep up, lack of funding, and disagreement from all sides of the table about new (and risky) marketing strategies.

What are you reading over lunch? Let us know in the comments.

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