“It all started with my grandma,” Tim Findeiss remembered, narrating the origins of Senior Connect, the platform that would soon grow to help thousands of people. His grandmother, the lead at Feindeiss’ local library, often received requests from her friends to work at the library, eager to join her in the workforce. It was then that Findeiss realized, “there were so many talented seniors who are willing to be active and contribute to the workforce, but it’s super hard for them to find jobs.”
This revelation sparked the idea for Senior Connect, an innovative platform that bridges the demand for skilled workers and the availability of experienced seniors who wish to contribute through the workforce. While attending the Technical University of Munich, Findeiss and his friends conducted extensive market research and confirmed this gap in labor supply and demand.
“There are many seniors who have it incredibly hard to find relevant job offers. Even though [seniors] have so much experience and expertise they can bring to the table, they are just ignored or don’t have the access,” Findeiss said.
He and his team set to work building a streamlined, user-friendly platform. By simply uploading a CV, users are matched within minutes to relevant job opportunities based on their skill set. In just over a year, Senior Connect grew to include a network of 150,000 seniors across Germany.
“It’s been amazing…Companies are not just focusing on Gen Z, as many do right now, but there is a shift in perception,” Findeiss said. “They are realizing that the experience and expertise seniors bring to the table is super valuable.”
His journey into entrepreneurship, however, started far before this idea came to exist. He first became interested while studying the subject during his high school stay in Canada at the age of 16. It was there that he refined his skills in English and communication.
“By working with students from all over the world, I developed an appreciation and openness for other values, as well as the ability to assert my own ideas,” Findeiss said. “Since then, I have immersed myself in macroeconomic coherence and current business news.”
Support from the Yunus and Youth fellowship program was also instrumental in Senior Connect’s development. Their mentor, Michael Ciliax, the Head of People Strategy and People Data Analytics at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, provided the right inspiration and infrastructure to refine their business model.
“[Michael] knows what the processes look like now and what they’ll look like in the future, and what companies are focusing on. Because [he works] in the German market, it’s a pretty neat example for us,” Findeiss said. “He’s also living about 200 kilometers away from us, so we’ve already met up in person and did a big workshop day. It’s just nice to pinpoint ideas from left to right.”
However, building this platform wasn’t without its challenges. The dual-sided nature of the platform meant that Findeiss and his team had to find balance between its clients.
“The challenge [was] basically having enough companies on the platform and also having enough seniors. The beginning was super hard, but then we figured out some partnerships that gave us big access to seniors,” Findeiss said. “With that, we can now reach out to companies and promise them that we have enough seniors on hand on our platform. That was a big step for us.”
Despite juggling studies with the challenges of building a platform with a massive user base, the team managed to release a prototype and expand their reach within a year. Findeiss proves that even with limited time, meaningful change is possible.
Findeiss’s advice to aspiring social entrepreneurs is straightforward: “Get as much help as possible. Hop on LinkedIn, text some people you’re inspired by…many people like to help out young people, especially if they want to create positive change.”
Findeiss continues to work as a leader in management and technology. Through a partnership with Campus Founders, a platform for founders and corporate innovators, Findeiss advised education programs for students and obtained new professional knowledge in consulting, design thinking, and prototyping.
As Senior Connect continues to grow, Findeiss remains focused on his mission: to reshape the job market for seniors and prove that experience is not only valuable but essential. In a world where the workforce often overlooks older professionals, Senior Connect is paving the way for a more inclusive and dynamic employment landscape.
