Older workforces provide lots of experience and rusted-on attitudes

None of us want to admit it, but we are all ageing. We’re also living longer — a fact that will have an impact on our workforce.

None of us want to admit it, but we are all ageing. We’re also living longer — a fact that will have an impact on our workforce.

My grandfather retired from full-time work at 50. At 92 he is still alive with an active mind. My father, on the other hand, is in his mid-60s, still works and thoroughly enjoys it.

Dad isn’t alone either. During the past 12 months the largest growth in employment was among people aged over 65, at more than double the rate of the rest of the labour market.

The message is clear: older ­people are happy to work and ­employers are recognising their contributions.

Last year Barclays announced a plan to combat skill shortages by increasing the number of people over 60 in its workforce. The company believes automation primarily will affect more junior jobs, resulting in the need for more ­experienced workers.

But multi-generational workplaces are hard. Most of us don’t think fondly about being managed by someone decades younger than us. Age is often used as another term for ability and workplace power.

The message from organisations is clear, too, with many ­implying they are always eager for fresh blood. The big accounting firms have a “voluntary retirement age” of between 55 and 62, while for law firms it is up to 65, but all are very happy if you leave earlier.

In contrast, last month NSW ­Attorney-General Mark Speakman announced a lifting of the mandatory retirement age for judges from 72 to 75, and acting judges can be commissioned up to age 78. Like Barclays, he has a skills shortage.

Still, age can be used as an indicator of competency. In many workplaces, people over 60 are often viewed as a liability.

Peter Cappelli, professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, sees tremendous opportunity for older people at work. However, he emphasises the need to respect the independence and autonomy ­expected by older workers.

Cappelli wrote a book titled Managing the Older Worker. He says micromanaging older ­workers doesn’t usually go well. Whether or not older workers do know more about what works, he says, they tend to assume they do.

Many older workers — espec­ially those who are winding back their workload — have different expectations to younger workers who are looking for a promotion.

The way to navigate this is to formulate projects and responses together. Create the level playing field for workers of all ages.

“You can empower people, you can ask for their help, but you’re still in charge,” Cappelli says.

As always, if you cannot give this baseline respect to people who are working for you then they will go work somewhere else. Or retire.

Conrad Liveris is a corporate adviser on workplaces and risk.