|
Managing
Diversity
January
1999
Vol. 8, No. 4
Successfully Managing an Age Diverse Workforce
By: Sheldon Steinhauser
Diversity, human resource and
legal specialists, hear this: are you ready for the age
diverse workforce in the millennium? With so much focus
on transforming computers for the year 2000, it's time to
gear up for the age transformation certain to take place.
Life expectancy will average 77 within the next year. And
not only will the population be older, it will increasingly
include a larger share of minorities.
In
1994, the median age of workers nationwide was 38 years.
The median age will be 41 by the year 2005. The number of
workers 55 and older is headed towards 22.2 million in 2005.
And while no fewer than 80 percent of the baby boomers say
they plan to work at least part time when they retire, according
to an AARP study, the number of older workers wanting and
needing to work full or part time is likely to grow in the
face of longer life expectancy, better health and fitness,
and economic necessity. More of the population will continue
in work through their sixties and early seventies but we
know little about how they will cope with work at these
ages.
And this generation of older
workers is not likely to accept unequal treatment based
on age without resorting to legal and extralegal measures.
The $200,000,000 in fines and settlements involving American
corporations between 1996 and 1998 is just the "tip
of the iceberg." That figure does not include legal fees
and "indirect" costs to the bottom line of managers' time
spent in legal-related meetings, documentation and depositions,
and the cost in employee morale and negative public relations.
Nor does it include the fact that jury verdicts have historically
been higher in age discrimination cases than in those based
on race, gender, or disability.
Beyond
the burdens to the economy of underutilizing older workers
and supporting older non-workers, many economists are already
predicting a shortage of skilled workers resulting in a
need to recruit and retain older workers who possess valuable
skills. Labor Department reports indicate that unemployment
fell from 4.6 percent to 4.4 percent, approaching the lowest
jobless rate in the past 30 years. The labor market is the
tightest it has been in many years.
From
a practical point of view, companies are already becoming
increasingly dependent on older workers. Gordon F. Shea,
author of Managing Older Employees, predicts that
for every six new entrants into the job market at the beginning
of the decade, there will be only five by the year 2000
- representing millions of workers.
There
are considerable bottom-line benefits in utilizing qualified
older workers, an attitude shared, for the most part, by
employers in this country, according to a 1997 study conducted
for the National Council on the Aging. Most reported that
they believed older workers were reliable, thorough, conscientious
and dependable. They have fewer on-the-job accidents, miss
less time than younger workers, and are very conscientious
and careful in carrying out their assignments. A significant
number were concerned about two things - whether the older
person's skills are outof-date, and whether older workers
are willing to take on demanding or difficult tasks. This
correlates with AARP research that employers are less positive
when it comes to older workers' flexibility, adaptability
and comfort with new technology. Those issues must be addressed.
Corporations
first need to come to grips with the culture of age bias often
unwittingly fostered over the past several decades. This has
resulted in implementing insensitive, poorly-conceived policies,
not encouraging older workers to pursue jobrelated education,
training, and promotional opportunities, and creating an environment
in which older workers may see themselves ignored, excluded,
their responsibilities reduced, and ultimately feeling pressured
to leave the workplace. "Jokes" about age, talk of "rejuvenation,"
sidetracking of resumes of those over 45, and downgrading
of performance abound. Perceptions about image, adaptability,
attitude, health and productivity may indirectly contribute
to that negative environment.Myths
and stereotypes must be directly countered through education.
Current findings indicate that age is not a determinant of
the capacity to do well in a job. Older persons retain their
mental faculties, can learn new skills, and are not necessarily
more rigid. Healthy older workers do not cost more in medical
benefits than younger employees with children at home.
So, what are the challenges
in motivating, managing, and supporting an age diverse workforce?
The
first step is commitment at the top. That means
diversity, AA/EEO, human resource and legal managers must
see ageism as a major component of diversity, if they have
not already done so - one likely to grow in significance and
workplace conflict over the coming months and years. Too often,
lack of time and resources, ambivalence about priorities and
how aging relates to traditional and non-traditional victims
of discrimination, sometimes even concerns about the extent
of victimization by comparison with other groups and "potential
wins and losses," may mean ageism gets only limited attention
in diversity awareness programs.
In truth, everyone ages - the
pain of discrimination cuts across every line and no one
is safe from becoming a victim. This is an issue made to
order for the special expertise of those concerned with
diversity management. With the proper approach, it could
lead to a new sense of inclusiveness and broadening of "stakeholders"
in workplace diversity efforts - perhaps even attracting
added financial and staff resources as a consequence.
The
next step is to talk to your employees. Do they feel
valued? Do they feel there are issues in the workplace related
to age, e.g. the equating of youth with success? Include
focus group interviews with older employees and those who
have left recently. Is the company environment considered
a friendly environment for them? Find out what really happens
to resumes of applicants who are over 45. You have to look
at what the existing barriers are before being able to recruit
and manage an age-diverse workforce.
Offer age diversity workshops to all managers, supervisors
and employees. Make certain that your diversity task force,
if you have one, includes older adults. Utilize trainers,
either in-house or external, or both, who are thoroughly
knowledgeable about age bias. Bringing out the best means
using age diverse teams and the use of older workers as
experts, specialists, and mentors in various fields,
Training programs responding to ,'myths" about workers
of all ages are critical but it's important to adjust negative
attitudes throughout the workforce. For example, aging is
not some sudden change - it is a continuing process and
changes in skill levels will vary for all workers over the
years. For training to work, it requires a full-scale commitment.
You have to take a look at these issues internally, from
the top down. And in addressing the issues, recognize that
while there are real differences between Generation Xers
and older adults, both are victimized by myths and stereotypes.
and by being devalued and unappreciated. Managers who operate
on the basis of stereotypes bring out the worst in both
groups.
Consider
flexible work schedules to provide a variety of scheduling
options. Understand that the shortage of technical talent
may require employers to think about such "solutions" as
a part-time pool of qualified retirees.
Recognize and commit to the value of lifelong learning
programs. Access to ongoing training is very important to
attracting and retaining older workers. Many feel excluded
from or not encouraged to continue with ongoing education.
On-thejob training for older employees tends to be the most
effective way of preventing obsolescence.
At the same time, analyze how both young and older workers
are being trained. "Cookie cutter" approaches simply will
not make it in the coming decade. People learn in different
ways and training programs need to be adjusted system-wide.
For example, more mature workers may need longer to adapt
to new technology.
Rethink
insurance and wellness programs. Increasing life
expectancy means companies have to deal with the fact that
employees will be using benefits longer and more often. Concerns
about health costs, pensions and other issues will need to
be addressed. Older workers may be more interested in long
term care insurance or workplace wellness benefits. Encouraging
people to maintain their health is increasingly important
as they age.
For
resource assistance, tap into agencies and networks
concerned with older adults, such as the National Council
on the Aging (NCOA), American Association of Retired Persons
(AARP) and the the American Society on Aging's Business
Forum on Aging (ASA). All have readily accessible on-line
web sites.
In the end, these approaches can only benefit your company
and all employees. Preventing age discrimination and successfully
managing an age diverse workforce is a win-win for everyone
and it has very real bottom line implications. This generation
of older adults is fit, wise, dedicated, loyal, and ready
for new growth and development. It is just this kind of
productive, quality, age-diverse workforce that will take
its place alongside new technologies and restructuring as,
we inove into the new millennium.
Sheldon
Steinhauser is associate professor of sociology at The Metropolitan
State College of Denver and president of Sheldon Steinhauser
& Associates, a diversity consulting firm specializing
in age discrimination issues. His e-mail address is SheldonS3@aol.com
|
