Supporting an ageing workforce will boost retention

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How many employees are aged over 50?

The challenges of recruiting and retaining older workers

Here, we offer our top tips on recruiting and retaining an older workforce and explore the benefits.

1. Support employees’ changing needs

2% of the working-age population becomes disabled every year.

2. Take account of caring responsibilities

Over 50s are likely to have caring responsibilities. According to the ONS, one in four older female workers, and one in eight older male workers, have caring responsibilities. Nearly three in five carers in England and Wales are aged 50 years and over, and one in five people aged 50 to 69 are informal carers. ClearTalents specifically addresses the needs of carers in the workplace, so you can make Reasonable Adjustments to enable them to stay at work—for example, part-time or flexible hours, or hybrid and home working.

3. Boost retention and buck the Great resignation

4. Adopt a flexible approach

Increasingly, we’re shifting to hybrid and flexible working across all employees. ClearTalents can support your people’s needs in the office, at home and hybrid as it offers up to three different diversity profiles per employee.

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5. Encourage mentorship and aid retention

  • For younger workers, older colleagues are valued for their skill as teachers (77%)
  • For older workers, their younger colleagues offer an opportunity to pass on their skills and knowledge (79%) and for providing an opportunity to consider a different perspective (76%)

6. Be inclusive in advertising roles

Avoid bias in job advertisements, which may put off older candidates. According to the Centre For Ageing Better, more than 36% of 50 – 69-year-olds feel at a disadvantage applying for jobs due to their age. Studies by the Centre for Ageing Better also show that pension contributions and flexible working was associated with a higher likelihood of older jobseekers applying. So, employers should be thinking about their packages and should not age discriminate against this.

A study also showed that words stereotypically associated with younger age like ‘innovative’ and ‘dynamic’ are more commonly used than older–age stereotypical words such as ‘knowledgeable’. These examples show how more senior job seekers are turning their backs on adverts, and rightly so. Job descriptions and roles should be ‘age-friendly’ and not show age discrimination.

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