One of my recent posts highlighted the age discrimination still all too common facing those aged 55+. Many people will want/need to continue to work in some capacity, often beyond statutory retirement. They’re keen to continue to make a contribution and just as willing to continue learning as their 20-30 year-old counterparts.
Unlawful discrimination continues to be practised by many employers and recruitment agencies. In this post I’ve identified the skills and experiences older workers have to offer. I do so to counter the pernicious and inaccurate caricature of older workers perpetuated by the Media and still firmly embedded in too many company cultures.
1. Experience
I read recently that a recruiter ‘on principle’ didn’t hire anyone who’d worked for the same organisation for more than 20 years. I found that astonishingly ignorant. His assumption was that an employee who hadn’t changed organisations during this time hadn’t developed valuable transferable skills and experiences.
Given the speed of change for most companies, it’s likely an employee will have been exposed to organisational restructures, job role changes, worked for several bosses and had to adapt and develop their skills in order to remain in employment. The fact that the employee had remained with their employer so long would suggest they were valued and in turn had been loyal to their employer. Qualities you might anticipate would be valued by organisations struggling to fill vacant posts.
Older workers know how to behave in the workplace. They are the most likely to be punctual, take less time off and have a strong work ethic. They can help guide younger workers who may not have had as much opportunity to learn behavioural cues in the workplace as a result of Covid and lockdowns. This makes them good role models.
Older workers are more resilient and less likely to be phased by organisational changes, having experienced these in previous jobs.
2. Willingness to learn
Boomers and Gen X remain keen to learn and develop- as much as their 20-30 year-old counterparts. Most are proficient users of IT and happy to pick up any necessary new technical skills.
A great way to support both less experienced and more mature workers is to create 2-way mentoring so each is able to take advantage of each others’ skills and experience. All organisations could reap the benefits of this approach.
3. Maturity
Older employees will have had to deal with adversity through life experiences, cope with challenging situations and handle difficult people. They will bring calmness to teams, often able to diffuse conflict. They will have a better understanding of organisational politics which can help bring perspective to less experienced employees.
Having older workers in your team, especially where they have previously held leadership roles, can be particularly helpful. They will understand many of the frustrations you experience. They can deploy their diplomacy skills to good effect and provide a helpful sounding board. They are unlikely to be coveting your job and so won’t pose a threat to your authority.
4. Cost effective
Older workers are less likely to be job flitters. most will be content to do the job they’ve been employed to do and contribute to team stability. While initially more expensive to hire, they won’t need to be replaced as frequently as younger staff where turnover will be higher.
5. Customer care
A friend of mine recently decided to change career direction completely. She needed to gain interior design experience and so wrote to local companies to ask for some work experience. Following two weeks with one company, she was swiftly offered a paid role. Why? Because she used her initiative to find jobs that needed doing and was skilled at handling customers in person and on the phone. Although new to the work, she was able to demonstrate her many transferable skills swiftly and to good effect. Older workers have the emotional intelligence to deal with customers professionally and defuse conflict more confidently than less experienced staff.
6. Reputation
Multi-generational employers are good for business. Promoting inclusive ways of working will attract more and better quality applicants. It’s good for staff, for customers and for stakeholders and your reputation as an employer. Think of the positive media opportunities for your business!
Call to action for recruiters
With all this untapped potential, what do recruiters need to do to make the workplace more attractive to experienced workers?
Lancaster University’s The Work Foundation produced a report earlier this year. It found 83% of business leaders (a total of 1,167 respondents) agree that their organisation benefits from
the diverse perspectives brought by a multigenerational workforce.
However, in order to move from intention to action, the report* makes the following recommendations to employers:
1. Develop proactive and long-term policy planning to support line managers and workers
2. Implement age-inclusive policies to unlock the benefits a multigenerational workforce
3. Develop lifelong learning opportunities for all staff to support their career growth
4. Embrace flexible working arrangements
5. Develop policies and procedures that promote inclusion, diversity, and choice.
*Atay, A. and Williams, E. (2024). Working together: Maximising the opportunities of a multigenerational workforce, Work Foundation at Lancaster University.
In conclusion
It’s time for recruiters to wake up and realise that older workers may be the very solution to the recruitment problem they’re trying to solve. If workplace cultures don’t evolve to keep pace with the reality of increased longevity, managers and leaders currently in their 40s may find themselves dealing with their own harsh wake-up call a few years from now.
Ageism is prejudice against our future selves
Carol Eastern CEO, Ageing Better.
