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Archive for September, 2011

65 ain’t 65 anymore

Posted by Alison in Commentary, Media on September 29th, 2011

Just as 40 is the new 30, 65 ain’t 65 anymore

writes Greg Jericho in The Drum Opinion yesterday.

Last week the Daily Telegraph ran a front page story with the cheery headline “Graveyard Shift“, bemoaning that mature workers are being ‘forced’ to work longer. Not so, says Jericho. The facts support this counter argument, we are living longer healthier lives and mature workers have been steadily ‘working longer’ since 1983. A trend quite removed from the impact of the GFC and stock market fluctuations.

we should not be running front page stories about older people having to work, we should be running front page stories about what governments and employers are doing to encourage and help those over 65 to work

SageCo echoes these sentiments in an article published by Human Capital Online last week, sharing data gained from over 2500 mature workers in the past year on their future working intentions.

It comes down to individual choice (and of course ability) to continue working. For choice to occur, there need to be options available. For options to be available, organisations need to focus on reshaping the way we work and create space for the conversation.

81% stated they would continue to work, if they could work differently. The problem is that the conversation is not taking place, said Monroe

It is integral for leaders to be talking to the mature members of the team, and gauging their future work intentions, not their ‘retirement intentions’, which sends the wrong message to the older workforce.

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Baby Boomers – satisfied but overlooked

Posted by Catriona in Commentary, Media on September 14th, 2011

Mercer’s What’s Working survey declares that baby boomers are more satisfied with the work they do, less likely to leave BUT they are overlooked for career development and opportunities. Do you agree?

Sageco always encourages employers to actively support mature workers in their late career and retirement decisions. Sometimes it is the ‘assumption’ of retirement that is the greatest barrier to this. If you manage mature workers, then follow these three easy steps to ensure that they’re not being overlooked:

  • Have a conversation about their work and retirement intentions. Ask the questions, “What would you like the next ten years working here to look like?”
  • Encourage your mature workers to think about taking charge of their own career development.
  • Make sure that performance and development reviews are constructive and don’t assume that someone is ‘just going to retire soon’ because they are over 50.

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NAB puts Australia on the mature age map

Posted by Alison in Commentary on September 7th, 2011

Congratulations to National Australia Bank!

NAB has been recognized with AARP’s 2011 ‘Best Employers for Workers over Age 50’ award for their innovative and exemplary practices in recruiting, retaining and promoting mature age workers. This is an international award and NAB joins 14 other non-US based organizations that were recognized with this distinction.

AARP is a US-based non-profit association with over 37 million members, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people over the age of 50.

This award shows that we’re really making a difference outside our organization, and even outside Australia

said Colleen Harris, Executive General Manager of NAB Human Capital.

Our focus on mature age workers as valued employees puts NAB in a unique position to retain experienced workers, which is critical in a shrinking labor market, and to build a sustainable competitive advantage

NAB is the 1st Australian employer to achieve this Award and they have placed a pin on the world map.

We put NAB’s winning strategy down to a few success factors;

  • executive support and advocacy
  • leadership awareness and education
  • a passionate, dedicated and influential diversity team.

Find out more about NAB’s Award here!

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