Agenda for an ageing workforce
A report released by Manpower this month, highlights the very real and complex threat to employer’s ability to compete. This threat is about the draining of skills and knowledge that occurs every time an experienced older worker retires with no one ready to succeed him due, in part, to poor planning by employers and lack of available talent to replace the vast numbers of baby boomers who are moving into the twilight years of their careers.
As such, the first priority should be forecasting and workforce planning for the future. Without this analysis, employers are looking at decreased profitability because of unexpected and pervasive talent shortages in critical roles. Many talent management strategies neither understand how to recruit or retain older workers, nor do they grasp why this should be a high priority.
Work-life balance programs geared specifically toward this class of worker have been successful strategies in the past. There is a growing proportion of workers that may be quite willing and able to continue contributing for years to come, if they are engaged and encouraged to do so. The best way to attract older workers is to have jobs they want, and they tend to want part-time jobs. Employers who attract talent will be the ones who determine how to make plenty of part-time jobs available to older workers and how to redesign existing jobs into part-time roles in order to retain current staff a few years longer. According to the report, “as talent becomes more difficult to find and retain, it will be essential for employers to optimize talent flow by ensuring alignment of employees’ skills with the needs of the business over the course of each individual’s career. This requires strategic recruitment; ongoing assessment of skills, interests and abilities at regular intervals; alignment of abilities with the current and future needs of the business; and making lifelong learning a high priority.”
