How can middle-aged women get the most out of work?
Dec 3, 2024
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Lucy Standing, founder of the nonprofit Brave Starts, and comedian Viv Groskop share vital insights on empowering middle-aged women in the workforce. They discuss the importance of company culture and the need for supportive environments to nurture career exploration. Lucy emphasizes older workers' resilience and unique value, while Viv highlights how women can ask critical questions about their workplace dynamics. Together, they challenge misconceptions surrounding older employees and advocate for a culture that both values and supports their growth.
Middle-aged women often leave the workforce due to workplace culture that lacks flexibility and genuine concern for employee well-being.
Managers can enhance retention by offering time for career exploration and fostering a supportive environment for mid-life employees to develop.
Deep dives
Challenges Faced by Older Women in the Workforce
Many older workers, particularly women, face significant challenges in their careers, often being unable to attain the senior roles they anticipated. Factors such as caregiving responsibilities, financial pressures, and workplace culture contribute to their decisions to leave the workforce. The concept of the 'sandwich generation' highlights how these individuals juggle obligations to both their children and aging parents, leading to a sense of stagnation in their careers. Ultimately, many express feelings of boredom and a longing for greater purpose and flexibility in their work life as they reach midlife.
Importance of Workplace Culture and Flexibility
Workplace culture plays a crucial role in the retention of older employees, with many citing it as a primary reason for their departure. Workers often desire a culture that emphasizes kindness, flexibility, and genuine concern for employee well-being, rather than solely focusing on brand image or company values. Moreover, the need for flexibility has become increasingly important as employees seek to explore different career paths while balancing personal commitments. Creating an environment that supports this exploration enables individuals to find more fulfilling roles within their organization or beyond.
Strategies for Managers to Support Older Workers
To effectively retain mid-life employees, managers should prioritize offering time, flexibility, and psychological safety for their teams to explore new opportunities. Many workers express a desire for time to contemplate their next steps, as a significant portion are contemplating career changes but lack clarity on their desired paths. Additionally, fostering a culture that encourages job shadowing and secondments can enhance employee engagement and satisfaction. By acknowledging that employees may wish to move on, managers can create a supportive environment, ultimately benefiting both the individual and the organization.
Many middle-aged women leave the workforce with plenty left to give. What can managers do to stop that from happening? Isabel Berwick speaks to Lucy Standing, founder of Brave Starts, a not-for-profit that helps older workers realise their potential. Isabel and Lucy are joined by writer and comedian Viv Groskop, who coaches and consults widely in the corporate world. Together, they discuss how women can ask the right questions about company culture, the factors you can’t fight at work, and why the last thing older workers want is another training course.
Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.