Energetic older workers

I interviewed Professor Philip Taylor of Monash University last week about research showing employers
were now more willing to employ older workers.

Taylor’s team surveyed 600 large organisations to find 50 per cent of public sector and 40 per cent of private employers targetted workers aged 55 and above when times were tough.

“I have been researching the issue of mature-age workers for over 20 years and it is the first time I have seen such interest in older workers,” Taylor says.

I want to believe this is good news but I hear stories from employers about older candidates who were not hired because they “just wouldn’t fit in”.

If employers keep hiring only one age cohort then they make a rod for their own back when it comes to workplace culture.

I am not claiming older is better than younger but with an ageing workforce and looming skills shortage, doesn’t it make sense to create multi-generational workplaces? As Taylor says, those that don’t will drive up salariesas they compete for the same younger workers.

Gerry Harvey spoke on radio about the Monash research.

At 71 he has no intention of retiring and says he has had fantastic employees aged into their 80s. His tip is for older workers was to demonstrate “energy” when interviewing for a job and then at work.

My mum is an example of the energy factor. In her 70s, she only stopped paid work because they closed the business. She has since become a volunteer firefighter, even doing the physical training.

Stephen Moir runs the Moir Group that includes executive search and a training arm for 40-plus white collar candidates.

“My top tip is for candidates to know the three or four things they are really good at and to communicate these [during the job interview] with plenty of energy and enthusiasm, using specific examples that back up these strengths,” he says.

Alison Monroe a director of SageCo, which advises large employers on how to tackle the risks posed by their ageing workforce, has seen age management back on the agenda.

Her advice is directed at employers: take a good look at their workplace culture and what they do to cater to the older workers they have now.

As the market picks up, inflexible and prejudiced employers will lose out.