55/Redefined is a champion for this generation, and Founder and CEO Lyndsey Simpson, is on a mission to change the way over-50s are viewed and treated in the workplace.
55/Redefined believes “a retirement rebellion is brewing” and it is “time for ‘unretirement’ to be a choice for this age group to fix the relationship between the over-50s and the workplace”. 55/Redefined’s other brands: Life/Redefined, Work/Redefined and Jobs/Redefined, aim to help support this demographic in their work, lifestyle and job choices via its Purpose Finder.
The whitepaper from 55/Redefined in partnership with Reed Talent Solutions, ‘The Unretirement Uprising – The retirement rebellion that could save our workplaces’, revisits and builds on the findings of their Shut Out, Forced Out and Overlooked study in 2021.
‘The Unretirement Uprising’ considers the impact of the pandemic and the views of our older workforce in a time of crippling talent shortages and a tightening economy. The report puts forward a vision of a truly age-inclusive workforce and provides the building blocks for businesses ready to not only support age inclusivity, but to champion it – in the workplace and beyond.
A survey of more than 4,000 people over the age of 50, conducted to inform the research, revealed:
47% of employees want flexibility from an employer to work around their lifestyle and other commitments
32% work for a sense of fulfilment and purpose
Only 16% are active on LinkedIn
21% would select an employer based on their age policy
30% of those that have retired felt forced to do so
One in five have been overlooked for promotion due to age
Older workers are an integral part of any workforce, bringing experience, knowledge of the internal workings of their business, exceptional levels of resilience and a real depth of skills.
Issues such as age discrimination and out-of-date perceptions need to be addressed.
Reed Talent Solutions’ Managing Director Lee Gudgeon said: “One challenge all companies and recruiters face now is how to develop an employee value proposition which is wholly inclusive.
“Can one proposition really attract people from all the protective and non-protective characteristics? Recruitment marketing activities are going to have to evolve and maybe even broken down into targeted campaigns.”
He urged older workers looking to return to work to start showing off their CVs and skills on platforms like LinkedIn, adding that internal mobility policies such as flexible working, proper training and mid-life MoTs, can help organisations retain and attract the very best talent from the ageing workforce.
Download the free report, ‘The unretirement uprising: the retirement rebellion that could save our workplaces’, by clicking on the button at the top of the page.
