Most employers are not geared up to manage an ageing workforce, despite the impending abolition of the Default Retirement Age (DRA) and the fact that a third of UK workers will be aged over 50 by 2020.
The failure of UK business leaders to adapt to an ageing workforce and to invest in appropriate training and development is putting the future success of their businesses at risk, argues a report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Chartered Management Institute.
The vast majority of respondents (93 per cent) see value in retaining the knowledge and experience of older workers and only 11 per cent say older workers cost their organisation more money. However, board-level recognition of ageing workforce issues is non-existent. The report, Managing an Ageing Workforce, argues that this lack of board-level recognition means supportive policies are not in place and managers on the front-line do not receive adequate training, development or support for managing older workers.
There is a role for coaching and mentoring to play in helping to change discriminatory attitudes to older workers. Ruth Spellman, CEO of the CMI, said:
“Our report found that younger people sometimes find it tricky to manage older employees, yet just seven per cent of organisations offer training to line managers that deals with managing older colleagues. There is a clear need, therefore, for employers to do more to support those managing older workers.”
“Employers need to work with line managers to explore what the issues are and to devise strategies for how best to enable them to work well with older teams. Drawing on the experience of other younger managers who have successfully managed older workers by employing them as coaches or mentors to share tips and discuss options would also be valuable,” she said.
There is a perception that it is hard for younger employees to manage older people (59%). Respondents also claim that age discrimination still exists, with 40 per cent having experienced it at some stage in their careers. Some 41 per cent) state that their workplaces are not age diverse.
The CIPD and CMI have created of recommendations or employers including ensuring that the entire senior team is aware of how an ageing workforce impacts on the available talent pool, the organisation’s approach towards recruitment and the changing legal landscape, and reviewing training and development opportunities for line managers, to ensure they are up to date with changes to retirement policies and can handle age-related issues in an appropriate manner and get the best from older staff.
The CIPD and CMI have also launched guides on how to manage an older workforce. CMI: www.managers.org.uk/ageing. CIPD: www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/_retirement_practice_guidance
See “What’s age got to do with it?, Coaching at Work, Vol 3, Issue 1, Bob Garvey http://www.coaching-at-work.com/2008/01/04/whats-age-got-to-do-with-it/