This article is Part 3 of a four-part series.
Workers 40 to 50 and above who are changing jobs or re-entering the workforce often are concerned about age discrimination — “the last acceptable form of ‘othering,’ ” as AARP’s Heather Tinsley-Fix says.
Despite the economic ups and downs in the past several years, not enough companies are embracing age-inclusive workplaces: Age discrimination — which 62% of older workers have either experienced or witnessed — is slicing $850 billion out of the US economy, AARP research shows. Just 8% of companies include age as an element of their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. That’s why signing AARP’s Employer Pledge is important and why displaying the Employer Pledge Seal within your organization, on your website and in job postings is so beneficial. It lets potential workers, existing employees, and customers know that a company has committed to creating, and nurturing, a multigenerational workforce.
Why signaling support of a multigenerational workforce matters
Today, five generations of people are working together in the US for the first time. Companies that work to create, and maintain multigenerational workforces say they see a big difference in productivity and growth.
“We know that a multigenerational workforce is stronger for its diversity of experience. More than 34% of LSS team members are age 50-plus,” says Lisa Williams, senior vice president of workforce excellence for Lutheran Senior Services, an AARP Employer Pledge signer.
Lynn Stewart, vice president of growth for the financial services company Supporting Strategies, says, “The experience and expertise our multigenerational workforce brings to Supporting Strategies is vital to successfully supporting our clients’ needs every day.”
Employer Pledge’s mission, steps and resources
In the past 12 years, more than 3,000 other businesses have signed the pledge, and those companies employ nearly 10 million workers around the country. The AARP Employer Pledge signals that an organization’s age diversity is a reality, not just an idea.
Organizations like AARP help employers who want to reap the benefits of a multigenerational workplace. Given its history with the more experienced segment of the workforce, the nonprofit is well-positioned to help companies and organizations find, continually develop, and keep workers 50-plus on board.
Companies and organizations that sign the pledge have the advantage of an extensive list of resources from AARP, including:
- Age-Inclusion Checklist
- Age-Inclusion Digest monthly newsletter
- Age Tech Collaborative for building digital literacy among consumers
- Company workshops and team exercises on multigenerational workplaces
- Quarterly calls to network with other pledge signers
- Caregiving and Medicare resources for your employees
- Intergenerational ERG Toolkit
- AARP job posting discounts
- Manager Toolkit for Leading Age-Inclusive Teams
- Opportunity to present at AARP Work Webinars
- Presentations and customizable decks by AARP experts on topics such as:
- Supporting caregivers
- Multigenerational workforce strategies
- Age inclusion
- Say This, Not That: A Manager’s Guide to Hiring
- Understanding a Changing Older Workforce
- AARP Foundation’s Senior Community Service Employment Program
The AARP Employer Pledge
Companies agree to the value of older workers and publicly state:
“We believe in equal opportunity for all workers, regardless of age, and that 50+ workers should have a level playing field in their ability to compete for and obtain jobs. Recognizing the value of experienced workers, we pledge to recruit across diverse age groups and to consider all applicants on an equal basis as we hire for positions within our organization.”
How employers benefit from signing the pledge
You get something immeasurable from an [older] employee who has experience. More than just their ability and their skills and the wisdom that comes with experience,” says RLA Conservation founder Rosa Lowinger, who has signed the pledge. “As an employer, you’re always wondering how much [workers] understand that you want to do the right thing for them. And every time I have hired someone older than 50, they get it, because these are people that have worked in a lot of other places, and they know what it’s like to work in a good place.”
That kind of reassurance, as well as productivity and growth, are more obvious benefits, but demographics offer a more complete picture. Tinsley-Fix notes that 52% of the labor force is 40 and older, and Baby Boomers are starting to age out of the workforce in greater numbers. Millennials are turning 40. Generation Alpha, which has yet to enter the workforce, is much smaller.
“The labor market has been tight for about five years now, and it is likely to remain tight,” she says. “You want to signal that you welcome people of all ages. The pledge stands for age inclusion across all generations, not just older workers. Another reason to signal that you’re age-inclusive is that we’re entering a time when durable human skills — things like critical thinking, problem-solving, and negotiation — are more important than ever.
Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer Carolyn Tandy for Humana, another pledge signer, points to the future as well: “There are so many ways we can think about the benefit of skills-based hiring differently, and this is the future.”
Show your commitment to experienced workers, and join the more than 3,000 workers who have signed the AARP’s Employer Pledge to create and foster a multigenerational culture at work. Learn more about the pledge program and other ways you can benefit from hiring workers 40 to 50 and above.
Read more of this four-part series about age-inclusive workplaces:
- Part 1: Why a partner like AARP helps create an age-inclusive workplace
- Part 2: Age-inclusive actions at each stage of employee relationship
- Part 4: The workplace benefits that appeal to workers 50-plus
_________________________
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.