Attracting older workers back into the workforce: the new economy booster

Reports have come out that the government is currently considering plans to encourage retired older workers back into jobs, offering a ‘midlife MoT’ to assess and entice retired people over 50 back into the workforce.

This is in response to the labour shortage found in the recruitment sector ever since the pandemic, linked to the economic slump the country has now found itself in. A recent House of Lords committee found that the wave of early retirement following the pandemic has impacted the current huge numbers of labour shortage.

This is great news for sectors that have been struggling with recruitment for the past two years or longer. But how can you best attract these people back into working with you?

What can I do?

To get yourself ready for this new market, you’ll want to review the open positions you have out there at the moment, that role you haven’t quite found the right person for yet. Is the salary you’ve offered desirable for this level of work? Have you included all the perks of your workplace, all your strengths and best qualities? Have you been realistic about the necessary skills, experience and duties that come with the role?

After all, the older group want a good place to work as much as the next person. The factors you can offer the retired, middle-aged workforce should be similar to what you’d present to any other age group. Ultimately, they want work that is meaningful, allows them to grow, is stimulating and sociable, and allows for any relevant health concerns or disabilities in the workplace.

The main difference you should keep in mind is that these workers are coming out of retirement to come back to work – they may have a preference for part-time work, or working from home so they can keep some of their free time, and may be more interested in gaining a sense of direction and purpose than they are in a high wage or heavy-commitment position.

What can they do?

There are many reasons you might want to entice this group back into the workplace. An obvious one is the knowledge and experience an older, previously retired person will have – not just of your sector, but of many years of working in general – which gives you the opportunity for a knowledgeable person with strong capabilities to join the team.

Depending on the current age range of your business, hiring a previously retired person also invites a dynamic age diversity into your workplace, giving the opportunity for new ideas, new angles of problem solving, and a positive role model for younger workers.

Finally, it’s been found that older workers report higher job satisfaction, and are less likely to switch jobs. If you’re looking for someone who is more reliable to fulfil your role for a long term, the statistics say an older worker is more likely to be a keeper.

How can I do it?

If you’re looking for further help on how you can attract the future new market of middle-aged workers coming out of retirement, get in touch with us today to chat about what we can help you do.