Keeping the Good and Managing the Bad

The impact of older workers staying on longer in industries/organisations where there are skills shortages is generally a good thing.  The idea of having older employees staying on across industries on the whole is positive, however there are circumstances where this may not necessarily be what we want. In some cases, line managers may not want older workers to stay as it may prevent younger candidates and returning parents from getting jobs. It shuts down options in the labour market in this respect.

Why people stay on is also an important factor to consider.  For those who are staying on simply to top up their pension schemes or out of a need to earn more money, they are potential candidates for low productivity levels.  This is something to keep an eye on and to manage carefully.  If older workers are staying solely to earn more money, they may continue to work but sub optimally, without really caring or having a deep interest in what they do. Without real motivation, passion or enthusiasm for their work, output will diminish and could have an impact on others around them. 

Younger workers may begin to resent older workers if they feel like they aren’t pulling their weight or opening up enough opportunities for the younger generations to work their way up the ladder with.  Tensions may arise and these will need to be handled with care.

On the flip side, as final salary schemes allow some individuals to have good pension arrangements, high performing employees who we would want to keep hold of may be all set to leave. Those who are at the top of their game with all the knowledge and expertise may be keen to leave and set up their new lifestyle outside of work.  For the organisation this present a loss of great talent, know-how and skill.  In order to retain this and to make these individuals want to stay on and work for longer, they need to be listened to and understood. They need to have a good reason for staying connected to the organisation and continuing their contribution to it.

This is a challenging situation to be in for organisations as you may be caught in between bad employees staying and good ones leaving.  It is a delicate balance to manage.

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