Why Leaders Need to Value Their Retirement-Age Workforce
Mar 19, 2024
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Exploring the value of retaining retirement-age workers in a time of workforce shortage. Discussing why older workers want to continue working and ways companies can engage them. Embracing age diversity, phased retirements, mentorship programs, and non-ageist recruiting. Redefining retirement and empowering aging workers in the modern workforce.
Older workers are a valuable asset due to experience and skills, organizations need to adapt to retain them.
Challenges faced by older workers include outdated perceptions and untapped potential in the job market.
Deep dives
The Shift in the Labor Force Dynamics
The podcast discusses a significant shift in the labor force dynamics, highlighting that the fastest-growing segment in the US labor force is people aged 65 and older. Contrary to common perceptions, older workers are portrayed as a valuable asset due to their experience and skills. There's a growing need for organizations to adapt to this demographic change to retain the talent and capabilities these older workers bring, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the value of this group.
Challenges Faced by Older Workers
The episode sheds light on the challenges faced by older workers, including outdated notions that rendered workers over 65 as less capable or valuable. It stresses the mismatch between the demand for various skills in the job market and the untapped potential of older workers willing to continue working post-retirement age. The discussion underscores the evolving perception of aging, indicating a paradigm shift towards viewing older workers as valuable contributors to the workforce.
Strategies for Leveraging the Aging Workforce
The podcast presents strategic approaches for organizations to leverage the aging workforce effectively. These strategies include preserving, replenishing, and sharing experiences, offering flexibility in work arrangements, and recognizing the importance of age diversity. Emphasizing the need to rethink traditional retirement models, the episode advocates for personalized transitions, flexibility in benefits, and initiatives to foster age diversity within companies.
A growing number of workers are reaching retirement age around the globe. At the same time, many countries face a worker shortage, especially in critical areas like health care. Ken Dychtwald, cofounder and CEO of Age Wave, says it’s time for companies to stop overlooking this valuable labor pool, because AI alone won't alleviate the tight supply. He explains why many late-career people want to work longer. And he shares creative and often simple ways that companies can keep older workers engaged, including phased retirements, non-ageist recruiting, mentorship programs, and grandparental leave. Dychtwald is a coauthor of the HBR article "Redesigning Retirement."
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