A practical guide to Age Inclusivity

The Opportunity and Challenge of Hiring From Non-Traditional Backgrounds in Collaboration with:

Attracting top-tier candidates in today’s competitive job market is more challenging than ever. Vacancies remain unfilled for longer, internal skills gaps hinder productivity, and talent shortages persist worldwide. Yet, these obstacles present an opportunity for organizations to rethink recruitment strategies and fuel business growth. At Page Resourcing, our mission is to inspire change and embrace emerging opportunities in the evolving world of recruitment. We understand the complexities of global talent strategies and the balancing act required to help businesses adapt and thrive.

One effective solution to overcoming talent shortages is by exploring non-traditional candidate pools—individuals often overlooked due to unconscious biases or stereotypes. By moving beyond conventional hiring practices, companies can access untapped potential. This guide focuses specifically on the over-50s, a group that not only offers critical skills but can also drive business growth in ways you may not have considered.

Including age in your recruitment strategy and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives is crucial for companies seeking innovation, stability, and resonance with a diverse customer base. Age has often been sidelined on DE&I agendas, but it intersects with all other diversity characteristics. Acknowledging this intersectionality can significantly enhance both talent attraction and retention across your organization. 

Hiring over-50s, the business case: 

By 2050, 30% of the global workforce will be aged 50 or older. Even if age inclusion isn’t currently on your organization’s radar, engaging this talent pool will be essential for sustainable growth. As Lyndsey Simpson, Founder and CEO of 55/Redefined, puts it: “If you don’t have an age strategy, you don’t have a growth strategy.”

Age inclusivity goes beyond meeting social or legal expectations—it provides tangible business benefits. 

• Reduced Attrition and Absenteeism 

High employee turnover disrupts productivity and harms your employer's brand. However, employees over 50 are five times less likely to change jobs within their first 18 months, providing greater stability and potentially saving your business up to £200,000 annually, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and 55/Redefined.

Older workers also exhibit lower absenteeism rates, demonstrating their loyalty and commitment. In fact, 90% of employees over 50 report job satisfaction, compared to just 30% of employees under 25. This higher satisfaction contributes to greater engagement and effectiveness in the workplace. 

• Addressing the Skills Gap 

A remarkable 90% of individuals aged 55-65 believe they possess transferable skills that make them ready for reskilling. This represents a vast, untapped talent pool. Investing in reskilling older employees can save businesses up to £50,000 per worker. Additionally, 89% of over-50s are open to taking a salary reduction to retrain in a new industry or role.

Focusing on transferable skills allows companies to benefit from the vast experience older workers bring, broadening the talent pool and encouraging hiring managers to prioritize long-term value over specific qualifications. 

The hurdles in hiring over-50s 

Despite the clear benefits of hiring older workers, age remains an underemphasized aspect of DE&I initiatives. According to research from 55/Redefined and Page Resourcing’s Age Pioneers event, only 8% of employers consider age among their top DE&I priorities. Additionally, 38% of HR leaders surveyed identified recruitment teams’ lack of proactivity in sourcing older candidates as a significant barrier. 

• Bridging the Intergenerational Gap 

Intergenerational conversations are often lacking in the workplace, resulting in missed opportunities for collaboration and mentorship. According to LinkedIn research, one in five Gen Z workers hasn’t spoken to someone over 50 at work in more than a year. This gap in communication creates a disconnect between generations, and risks perpetuating stereotypes. In addition, research from 55 Redefined and ProAge revealed a stark contrast between the views of younger and older HR leaders: those aged 25-30 were 39% less motivated to recruit older workers than HR leaders aged 46-50. 

• Taking Action on Age Inclusion 

To make meaningful progress, you need buy-in from hiring managers and recruitment teams. Educating them on the benefits of hiring older workers is crucial. Eliminating bias at every stage of the recruitment process—from crafting inclusive job ads to facilitating unbiased interview panels—will help create a more welcoming and inclusive environment.

Creating Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for over-50s can provide valuable feedback on your recruitment processes. Encouraging older employees to review your careers site and share their experiences can help identify areas for improvement. This engagement will enhance your recruitment strategy and foster a more inclusive company culture. 

Looking ahead 

At Page Resourcing, we are committed to helping clients navigate these challenges. We offer services such as DE&I audits, inclusive recruitment training, and attraction campaigns to help organizations implement age-inclusion strategies and build innovative, diverse teams. 

PageGroup stays ahead of the curve, identifying the latest trends in the market and specialising in reaching untapped talent pools that educate our clients on the solutions available. We understand that there is an ageing population and a candidate shortage, and by working with 55 / Redefined, who are the experts in attracting and engaging over-50s talent, we provide world class solutions to enable our clients to solve their hiring issues.  
Our job is to educate and bring all that we see in the DE&I space to our clients, including age.

If you're ready to take your company's age inclusion initiatives to the next level, reach out to the experts at Page Resourcing. We can help you develop and implement strategies to attract, retain and support top talent, creating a more inclusive and successful workplace for all.