Employing and supporting older workers - advantages of employing and retaining older workers

Age diversity can bring benefits to your business. Many employers value the experience and loyalty that older workers can bring. There may also be broader advantages for others within the workplace.

Working in an age-diverse team brings benefits, including fresh perspectives, knowledge-sharing and improved problem solving.

Employing older workers can bring the following advantages to your business:

• Experience and knowledge - older workers bring life experience as well as accumulated knowledge from many years of working. You can tap into these strengths to help overcome workplace challenges and identify business opportunities.
• New ideas and opportunities - if you are developing new ideas or searching for new business opportunities, an age-diverse workforce can prove helpful in weighing up the potential risks and benefits. Such foresight can help suggest new ideas or efficient ways of doing things.
• Focused workers - older workers are likely to analyse business tasks from a measured or calculated point of view rather than from an emotional one. This in turn can lead to fewer mistakes.

• Problem solving - older workers with their experience, maturity and often calming influence can help solve problems that may arise in the workplace whether they are difficult business decisions or workplace conflict.
• Positive role models - older workers can be a positive influence on younger or less experienced workers. They often perform well in training or mentoring roles.

• Resilience - older workers are likely to have experienced difficult times throughout their working life and so are often resilient when faced with a business challenge.
• Commitment - On average, older workers report higher job satisfaction and are less likely to switch jobs. A reduction in staff turnover can create stability in the workforce and is more cost effective than recruiting and retraining new staff. 
• Adaptability - older workers are likely to have experienced frequent changes during their working careers, so often adapt well to the need for new skills and changing technology.
• Responsibility - older workers are inclined to take on roles that require a level of responsibility, such as management positions and are often willing to accept accountability if things go wrong.
• Customer service - older workers usually place value on customer service, which can help you similarly maintain a focus on providing a quality service.

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