Older workers are an integral part of any workforce, bringing knowledge of the internal workings of their business, exceptional levels of resilience and a real depth of skills.
While the ‘Great Resignation’ can be traced directly to the pandemic, many of the problems that led to the relationship breakdown between older workers and businesses were already in place.
Our recent whitepaper, ‘The Unretirement Uprising,’ produced in conjunction with age activism platform 55/Redefined, revealed two-thirds of over-50s believed their age works against them when applying for jobs.
The results of a survey into the experiences of more than 4,000 over-50s across the UK also showed 70% of them felt it is difficult to start a new career over 50 and almost a third of retirees had felt forced to take retirement.
But it also showed that older workers are keen to do what it takes to remain in the workplace, with six in ten open to reskilling.
Issues such as a lack of training for older workers, age discrimination and out-of-date perceptions, including that over-50s have less technical prowess, need to be addressed in order to retain and reattract what is a rich vein of talent.
One challenge all companies and recruiters face is how to develop an employee value proposition which is wholly inclusive.
Reed Talent Solutions’ Managing Director, Lee Gudgeon, said: “Age discrimination remains - both perceived and real - and we need to address this if we want to retain and reattract older workers.
“The challenge is now on companies and recruiters to develop an employee value proposition which is wholly inclusive.
“Better training for older workers, more flexible working options, mid-life MoTs, and an inclusive environment mean workers will stay longer, learn new skills, and remain motivated and at the top of their game.”
Conversely, older workers need to realise the power of their own experience and skill set and promote it.
The survey showed only 16% of older people are active on LinkedIn, a number which needs to increase if these people are not to be lost to the world of work.
All the processes mentioned above will help bring back these workers into the world of employment – a vital step on the way to improving the relationship between older workers and employers.
Download the free report, ‘The unretirement uprising: the retirement rebellion that could save our workplaces,’ by clicking here.
