"Age is just a number –Experience counts in large amounts"

Nearly one in three workers in the UK are aged 50 and over and with the average employee in the UK in their 40’s this is set to grow over the next decade. The office of National Statistics has shown that for the first time there are more than 10 million people aged over 50 in employment. Employment rates for older workers have been steadily increasing since the early nineties when 56.5% of people aged between 50-64 were in work compared to 71.5% of 50-64 year olds currently working. Over 50’s now make up nearly one third of the entire UK workforce up from around one in five in the early 1990s. And with predictions up to the year 2025 of 300,000 fewer workers under the age of 30 in the UK and 1 million more workers over the age of 50 it has never been more important to embrace the older worker and the benefits that they can bring to the workplace. Employers report that older workers are loyal, reliable, committed and conscientious; they contribute valuable business experience and knowledge of their sector. Employers have also highlighted that greater life experiences made older workers better placed to manage themselves and others in the workplace compared with younger colleagues. Older workers transfer vital knowledge and skills and knowledge sharing is the number one benefit of an age diverse workforce.

However a recent survey concluded that one in three workers aged 45 and over believed their employer discriminates based on age. This involved bias against older staff including blocking their career progression, favouring younger workers, dismissing their skills and experience and overlooking them when offering training opportunities. Age discrimination lowers staff morale and lessens job satisfaction, so what can employers do to counteract this and be an age-friendly employer?

Diversifying your workforce can really add value to your business and by adopting a mixed age range businesses can help to solve complex problems by bringing together a mix of ideas, skills, strengths and experiences. When older and younger workers are mixed, productivity goes up and complex problems find solutions because the strengths and weaknesses of both groups are balanced. Older workers can draw on vast experience whilst younger workers may challenge outdated strategies and bring a fresh perspective. Employers are finding that with growing skills shortages and a shrinking pool of talent, retaining experienced and committed employees is essential for the future of your business. However, many UK workplace practices are behind when it comes to attracting and retaining older employees and according to research from the centre for ageing better, employers should update their benefits to accommodate the older worker. These include offering more flexibility around flexible working, hiring age positively by actively targeting candidates of all ages and minimising age bias in recruitment processes, providing health support to employees and creating opportunities for everyone to develop their careers, update their digital skills and receive the right training and support. Furthermore, an `age positive culture’ should be embedded with Human Resources, Managers and staff and should form part of the culture of the company.

As an employer facing growing skills shortages and a shrinking pool of talent, retaining experienced and committed employees is essential for the future of any business. Age should not be a barrier to opportunities as the mid-life population offers invaluable skills and experience that many companies are missing out on. Furthermore, rather than be in the wind-down stages of their career, research has shown that UK mid-life employees remain enthusiastic and ambitious and are eager to acquire the same level of training and progression opportunities as their younger counterparts.