Promoting an Age-Inclusive Workforce
Living, Learning and Earning Longer
All OECD economies are undergoing rapid population ageing, leading to more age diversity in workplaces than ever before as people are not only living longer but working longer. Greater diversity of experience, generations and skills gives employers an important opportunity to harness the talent that different age groups bring to the workplace and improve productivity and profitability. What can employers do to maximise the benefits of a multigenerational workforce? This report presents a business case for embracing greater age diversity at the workplace and debunks several myths about generational differences in work performance, attitudes and motivations towards work. It points to key employer policies and offers practical examples in three key areas to support and promote an age-inclusive workforce. This includes designing and putting in place all-age and life-stage policies covering the full span of workers careers through best practice in recruitment, retention and retirement, as well as the promotion of life-long learning and good health at work.
Mobilising and managing a multigenerational workforce
Population ageing brings older workers more and more to the centre stage. Drawing talent from workers of all generations will be critical in meeting different business needs and skill priorities. Access to a large pool of skills and talent can also help firms to better cope and respond during difficult times. Yet many factors can stand in the way of acquiring and keeping the talent that is needed. This chapter discusses key barriers to fully age‑inclusive workplaces, including ageism, and puts forward all-inclusive recruitment and retention policies to better integrate even more generations than in the past.