A silver lining in a silver workforce - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Viewpoint careers advice blog

‘A silver lining in a silver workforce’ - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Most of us avoid thoughts of getting old. It’s something that happens to other people and in our mind’s eye, we’re forever young and at the height of our prime. But, of course, old age will be a reality for all of us â€" and our employers. As people live longer and expect to continue working past what would once have been retirement age, businesses must adjust to accommodate the swelling ranks of mature workers. In my opinion, this is no bad thing â€" and in many cases can deliver great benefits to organisations. I was chatting only recently to the boss of a large manufacturing firm who was saying that his business has proportionately higher numbers of older workers than companies in other sectors, but he regards this as an advantage. Manufacturing faces a significant skills shortage, but it does already have a great deal of experience and knowledge in the shape of its more mature workforce. Lose that knowledge at your peril and that’s why the boss actively uses his older team members to train up younger employees, imparting the wisdom of decades of work to the new generation. Many businesses see a genuine value in older workers. Some operating in the retail and service sectors actively recruit more mature employees, since evidence indicates that the wisdom that age brings helps yield better customer service.  McDonalds  and DIY firms Home Depot in the US and BQ in the UK are notable examples of this enlightened approach. BMW has one factory in Germany that is entirely staffed by the over-50s, and it has found its older assembly lines are more productive than those peopled by younger staffers. The opportunity to exploit the talents of more senior members of staff to pass on know-how to other employees is significant. Small and medium-sized businesses, in particular, which have limited resources to dedicate to formal skills development, often use older staff to give in-house training to their junior peers. The OECD suggests that, as populations age around the world, and more people need to work for longer, this potential training resource should be used by companies of all sizes. Not to do so is a waste, especially when employers complain about the skills gaps in their business. Not long ago I saw a French study that found that employers reported that their mature employees were more reliable, better time-keepers, and more motivated and dynamic than their more youthful co-workers. Teamwork was also said to improve with older staff in the mix, and many bosses said that they could see a positive effect on younger workers’ career development. However, it’s a fact that many businesses have grown up to believe that older workers will simply retire as they reach their 60’s and therefore build their policies around that out-dated view of the world. These out-of-date attitudes need to be challenged. One misconception I have seen reported in the media is that older workers are blocking younger people from getting jobs. This just isnt true as the two groups occupy different places in the workforce. Many of the older community of workers want to work, pay their way, and impart the benefit of their years of experience. Societies, economies and businesses alike must get used to the idea and tap into it. If we moved to a world where that wisdom is more consistently sought out and valued, as the years inevitably creep by perhaps old age  wouldnt  be such a worrying thought after all. //