Hiring seasoned workers.
When retirement, sickness and disability are factored out, the reasons that 50-64 year olds are exiting the labour force are many and varied, with combinations of factors applying in most individual cases. They could be enticed to return to work if the role and conditions met their personal criteria.
According to a 2022 Government report, nearly 760,000 people aged between 50 and 64 years are either actively seeking work or are inactive but willing or would like to work.
This is an eager and waiting workforce that could almost wipe out the UK’s current labour shortage if targeted correctly.
Talent Solutions RPO has released a report that uncovers this untapped audience in detail, to help organisations reach them and fill the skills gaps.
Talent Solutions RPO’s report uncovers why seasoned workers leave the workplace, and how businesses can proactively counter:
67% want a 4-day week40% want to choose their start and end times76% want a supportive manager66% want to find meaning in their daily work61% want to know their work positively contributes to society
Source: ManpowerGroup 2022
…to work 9-5, 5 days a weekFlexible working, part-time, or consultancy working may address this issue.
…the daily commuteRemote and hybrid working can be a viable option for many roles.
…to feel undervalued and unable to share their expertiseAge is not an obstacle to relevance. This should be a clear mandate across business leadership, with managers and supervisors trained to recognise effective input regardless of where it comes from.
Workers want to thrive at work, not just survive. Businesses that offer better conditions and options for continuing career development have a stronger chance of recruiting and retaining seasoned workers.
A career path does not have to end at 50 – training and reskilling seasoned workers can keep them at the forefront of the workforce and allow them to lead important projects.
According to the government, 42,000 more men aged between 50 and 70 years with a degree or equivalent left the workforce between Q2 and Q3 2021 compared to 2019. Proportionally, professional occupations saw the largest exodus for those aged 50 to 70 years, with 30,000 more leaving the workforce during the same period.
These workers were some of the highest paid employees in the UK, yet they chose to quit work and forgo their elevated income instead of staying on – an outcome which indicates that a blunt financial incentive may be insufficient to retain or recruit many highly-skilled workers.
Ageism, or seasoned worker bias, may not be in play at work, but many seasoned workers think it is – and this perception is driving them away from work.
A 2023 survey conducted by the charity Ageing Better found that 36% of workers aged 50 – 69 had suffered age discrimination at work and believed their age meant they were less likely to receive offers and promotions.
Managers are on the frontline when it comes to hiring, promoting, or assessing seasoned worker skills and career paths. This is where much of the perception of ageism in the workplace can be eliminated. Manager training to overcome age bias, create attractive pathways to help seasoned workers extend their working lives, and understand and exploit the trove of human skills that many seasoned workers have is essential if employers wish to make seasoned employees comfortable in their roles and stop them seeking an early exit.
1 Update and adjust your current and future workforce plan. Where are your skills gaps now and which skills will your organisation need to meet your long-term operational goals?
2 Conduct a skills assessment of your workforce with a focus on your seasoned workers. Which skills or roles will become obsolete? What are their transferable skills? Which workers can be upskilled or reskilled to fulfil future needs? Which gaps will still remain?
Your leaders and managers may play a key role in this process by supporting skills planning and encouraging open career conversations with seasoned workers. Where necessary, change or train hiring managers to achieve the goals necessary to recruit or retain seasoned employees. Also consider redesigning roles to make more of the skill sets you currently have, and the skills and experience new seasoned workers will bring to your organisation.
3 How will your organisation fill the skills gaps that remain? Create recruitment and reskilling programmes that appeal to seasoned workers and offer better role opportunities, equal involvement in projects, and a chance to sharpen their skill sets and extend their working life.
4 Seasoned workers are seeking roles that fit their unique and personal criteria. Adjust operations to accommodate their needs: this means flexible roles and working conditions (full-time, part-time, hybrid, work from home), the choice of salary or consultancy (hourly) pay, solid project involvement (leader, mentor, coach), support to alleviate mental stress or physical impairments, and the removal of age bias in your workplace.
5 Maintain an open dialogue with your seasoned workers. Provide alternative career paths as needed. Adjust and adapt the programme as seasoned workers represent a larger share of your workforce.
For further insights and strategies on how to unlock the potential of a new audience, download the full Talent Solutions RPO report here.
Download the report
