This article is Part 2 of a four-part series.
Employers who create a welcoming workplace well-suited for employees of any age — from traditionalists to Generation Z — know that an inclusive culture can yield better company growth and development as well as stronger retention. These employers also understand that just meeting the minimum requirements of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act isn’t enough to result in a happier workforce and a thriving company. Hiring an employee is just the beginning of a long relationship that can offer endless benefits to both parties.
“Nothing involving inclusion ever requires just a single effort, and age is no different,” says Heather Tinsley-Fix, a senior adviser of employer engagement at AARP, who points out that — since every employee’s age has nowhere to go but up — addressing workers’ differing needs throughout their tenure sets a good precedent.
The employee life cycle has several stages, and age inclusion can be a part of all of them.
Stage 1: Writing job postings or conducting interviews
Even though ageism affects us all, it tends to take hold in companies via old rules, policies and practices that haven’t been questioned and thus aren’t obvious. Job postings, applications and interviews are perfect examples.
The wording chosen in job postings often seems perfectly acceptable, but phrases like “recent college graduates” and “digital natives” are buzzwords for younger applicants. Plenty of applicants 50 and above are coming back to the workforce to supplement retirement income, and others may be trying a new field and be happy to take the lower salary that “recent college grad” suggests. Others may be current or former tech workers who led the design team for newer tech you may think they can’t handle.
At least 50% of job-seekers 50 and above say they’ve been asked for their birth date on a job application or in an interview. A growing number, now 53%, have been asked for a graduation date. Most employers don’t think twice about including these seemingly harmless details on applications, but those over 50 know that unconscious bias against older applicants is a real problem. Be inclusive by avoiding any overt, implicit or unconscious age bias by excluding these questions and phrases from job postings and applications. AARP’s Say This, Not That: A Manager’s Guide to Hiring has a list of potentially exclusive language and good replacements to discuss with your managers and hiring staff.
During interviews, get to know potential applicants better by talking about their experiences and interests. If work styles and expectations don’t align with the workplace norms, the interviewer can “lead with curiosity” rather than assumptions or judgment, Tinsley-Fix suggests.
Stage 2: Finding the right experienced talent
In today’s tight labor market, new candidates don’t always come wrapped in a diploma, even if they’ve been in the workforce for 40 years. Others may have a degree in a totally different field. Consider an applicant’s skills instead.
“Interestingly enough, I don’t look for PR people because, to me, having a house full of people that have the same background doesn’t provide the diversity for brainstorming and different perspectives that an organization with people from different backgrounds can,” says Patti Hill Penman of Penman PR, who has signed AARP’s Employer Pledge for a multigenerational workplace. “The people who we most enjoy working with are those individuals who have transitioned from another career. … Public relations, in and of itself, is teachable. What’s not teachable is the ability to strategize, … [and] I can’t teach maturity.”
AARP Employer Pledge signers value older employees in the workplace, in part, because of their:
- Reliability
- Strong work ethic
- Experience with time management
- Adaptability during stressful situations
- Likelihood of being engaged employees
- Ability to build trust with clients and customers
If the applicants aren’t coming to you and you need new, time-tested workers who can bring a layer of experience that your current staff lacks, consider resources such as:
- The AARP Foundation’s Senior Community Service Employment Program, which connects employers and employees and offers a try-before-you-hire option and apprenticeships
- The seal for AARP’s Employer Pledge program, which alerts job-seekers to your interest in an age-inclusive workforce
- The Intergenerational ERG Toolkit
- The AARP Job Board
Don’t forget: People with the right skills — or an interest in developing them — often are right in front of you: existing employees who would be happy to reskill or upskill and who can bring important traits such as problem-solving skills and big-picture thinking.
Stage 3: Training, development and upskilling
Viewing employees with a growth mindset helps both companies and workers.
“The benefit of retaining older workers is huge. If you can retain and reskill older workers to fill jobs you need to fill that they don’t occupy, you retain that institutional knowledge and get an engaged employee,” Tinsley-Fix says.
The best way to ensure your employees stay on top of a changing marketplace, allowing your company to innovate and remain productive, is to provide onboarding up front and continual training after that. AARP research shows that while 60% of adults 50 and above are willing to participate in training and development programs, only 34% have in the past two years — which gives companies plenty of room to offer more upskilling.
Consider providing free or assisted opportunities for continuing education, degrees or certificates. Connect with outside organizations for more formal continuing education opportunities. And remember to address different learning styles with a variety of training formats.
Employee resource groups can be useful for informal training. Mixed-generation mentoring allows both workers to learn new things. A multigenerational resource group can dissolve stereotypes and break down barriers between generations.
Stage 4: Navigate intergenerational differences
Leaders can help dispel generational assumptions by thinking differently. For example, if a manager is put off by an employee who grumbles about having to learn a new collaborative platform, such as Slack or Teams, find out why. “Managers can think, ‘They’re old,’ or ‘They don’t want to learn new things,’ or ‘They don’t know tech very well,’ ” Tinsley-Fix says. “But when you lead with curiosity and try to understand what’s going on, you might hear, ‘I’ve learned six different platforms in six years, and I’m hesitant to expend energy to learn something that you’ll just get rid of in six months.’
“We have to be more accommodating to difference and more respectful of difference and help them integrate,” she says.
The manager can tell that employee: “I can’t change the fact that you do have to learn this new platform. But now I understand your frustration, and I can help with that.” Leaders can model this approach for other employees.
Age-inclusive employee resource groups and intergenerational mentor/mentee connections are two ways managers can help employees work through differences.
Stage 5: Retaining workers regardless of age
By itself, just hiring more 50-plus workers leads to lower turnover, the OECD reports.
Many of the strategies already mentioned — redefining job requirements, ongoing professional development and efforts to bring generations together — play a large role in retaining workers, no matter their age.
Show, and tell, employees you value them and their contributions; don’t assume they know. Almost all workers 40 and above look for work that gives them meaning, and having a work-life balance is even more important. Such employees want and need job security, and they want to like their employer, be comfortable in their work role, and feel included, accepted and respected, according to AARP data.
Most workers over 40 still want to grow professionally, but they value the flexibility needed particularly when caring for both parents and children. Offering a selection of meaningful benefits is important. (See Part 4 of this series.) Employers can learn more via AARP’s Understanding a Changing Older Workforce publication.
Stage 6: Guidance and support toward retirement goals
Including financial wellness programs as part of your benefits aren’t age-specific, as they can help all workers plan better for retirement. Workers who are 50-plus may also be interested in classes or workshops on the non-financial aspects of preparing for retirement “because there’s a whole host of emotional and identity shifts that can be common in retirement,” Tinsley-Fix says.
More experienced workers often don’t want to quit a job entirely; many would rather pare back their hours — and they’d like to work those hours with your company. Create policies to bake options like part-time work and flexibility in hours, days and locations into the work culture. Include options for hiring them as consultants after they retire from full-time work.
“We find that older workers are very valuable to our organization. … The majority of our clinical directors are over the age of 50, and their main role is mentoring the younger dentists who are just coming out of school,” says Ashley Booker, vice president of human resources for AARP Employer Pledge signer Pure Dental Brands. “I definitely see us increasing our percentage of part-time team members.”
Learn more about AARP’s Employer Pledge program for valuing experienced workers and creating age-inclusive workplaces.
Read more about age-inclusive workplaces in:
- Part 1: Why a partner like AARP helps create an age-inclusive workplace
- Part 3: The benefits of joining the Employer Pledge program
- Part 4: The workplace benefits that appeal to workers 50-plus
_________________________
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.