Older workers are set to play an increasing role in the workplace and employers need to respond with more flexible working practices and better recruitment strategies, new research finds.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development report cited flexibility as a key facilitator in filling an estimated gap of 6.5 million job vacancies over the next ten years.
It noted that with 13.5 million positions needing to be filled, but only 7 million young people set to leave school and college in that decade, more older people will be required to work for longer.
The Managing a Healthy Ageing Workforce: A National Business Imperative report suggests that many older workers approaching the state pension age would like to gradually reduce their working hours before completely retiring.
Research has also revealed that by offering flexible working, including part-time and homeworking, many employers have retained experienced staff who would otherwise have chosen to retire.
"Surveys regularly show that most older workers would work longer if they enjoy their work and could work more flexibly," the CIPD said.
"Phased retirement can offer the ‘best of both worlds' to employers since they enable the organisation to retain critical skills at reduced cost."
Aside from offering more flexible working conditions to older workers, the CIPD report also highlighted the need for a more enlightened approach to recruitment.
Older applicants for posts often experience discrimination which can be overt or more subtle, it said: "Typically, if they apply for a job at their previous level they are rejected in favour of younger people, and if they apply for less senior jobs they are regarded as ‘overqualified' (and sometimes a threat to current employees).
"As a result, many highly qualified people find themselves in semi-skilled or unskilled jobs which make little use of their skills and experience."
