Employees over the age of 50 are highly valued by companies because of their skills and specialist knowledge, according to a study by the temporary employment agency Manpowergroup Germany, which was available to the Reuters news agency on Tuesday.
These so-called silver workers are also praised by bosses, HR managers and department heads for their sense of responsibility and reliability. However, the survey also shows that only 34.5 percent actively look for older people when recruiting. This and keeping older employees in their company for as long as possible would be a way to mitigate the consequences of the growing shortage of skilled workers, it was said.
It is important to keep the specialist knowledge of the 50+ generation up to date through further training and further education. However, this is hardly common among the companies surveyed. Flexible working time models and hybrid working are more common here for a better work-life balance. For smaller companies, it also plays an important role in retaining and retaining employees beyond retirement.
“In the fight for young talent and skilled workers, medium-sized companies are often at a disadvantage compared to large corporations because they lack visibility on the labor market,” explained Managing Director Ines Woermann of the German Innovation Institute for Sustainability and Digitalization, which conducted the survey. With the right recruiting strategy, smaller companies could score points and fill gaps in their staffing levels with older employees.
According to experts, companies can benefit when younger and older employees work together. Such diverse teams with a mix of generations are more creative, said Manpowergroup manager Iwona Janas, who is responsible for the German business. “Problems are perceived and addressed from different perspectives, leading to faster and often more innovative solutions.” In addition to better decisions, diverse teams also increased the sense of belonging to the company and work morale.