Today's workforce is a diverse mix of multiple generations. While employers focus on attracting new talent, such as Gen Z and Millennials, they are also striving to retain highly skilled, older employees within their organisations. A study revealed that by 2030, approximately 150 million jobs will shift to workers over 50, who will make up a quarter of the workforce. This trend highlights the need to prepare aged talent for future workplaces, which are evolving at a fast pace.

Recently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia increased the retirement age to 65 years. This change emphasises the need for employers and HR professionals to adapt and focus heavily on the learning and development of new skills for their existing talent, as these employees will now remain in the workforce longer. Additionally, they should foster an inclusive culture that aligns with the evolving needs to support aged employees. It is also crucial to address the issues arising from an aged workforce and implement strategies for integrating and preparing older talents for modern workplaces.

What are some challenges associated with an aged workforce?

An older workforce presents several challenges for employers and HR leaders, with outdated skills and declining health being among the most concerning. Older employees, particularly those in physically demanding frontline and outdoor jobs, may face health and safety issues. Additionally, their unwillingness to upskill in a tech-driven world of work becomes a productivity challenge. 

The Middle East region is rapidly adapting its workforce to learn new skills in Artificial Intelligence, aiming to automate the most mundane tasks. However, the older workforce is accustomed to traditional work strategies. If they are unwilling to learn and adapt to emerging technologies and new ways of working, they are likely to face increasing work pressures and stress as they see younger workers efficiently completing tasks in faster, automated ways. These challenges for older employees in the work environment puts them at risk of anxiety and stress, affecting their overall well-being. This leads to lost productivity, absenteeism, and quiet quitting in the workplace. Aged workers tend to have higher absenteeism compared to younger workers due to health issues or workplace injuries, with their recovery time averaging two weeks because of age-related factors.

To add to their troubles, negative stereotypes from managers and colleagues often portray older workers as less flexible, unproductive, and resistant to change, which affects their engagement levels in the workplace. These perceptions harm older workers' sense of belonging, self-esteem, motivation for career advancement, and overall job satisfaction.

Since the skill gap is more prevalent among aged workers, employers should develop strategies to retain their experienced talent. This can include offering benefits and initiatives such as flexible hours, deployment roles as trainers for core skills, or providing phased retirement programs. Additionally, succession plans like mentor-protégé programmes, where older workers train younger ones, can help transfer valuable knowledge and provide learning opportunities for younger employees.

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Effective strategies to prepare aged talents in evolving workplaces

#1 Upskilling and continuous learning

Continuous learning programmes tailored to senior experienced workers is vital, particularly those focused on technology and digital tools. Empowering older workers with these skills keeps them relevant in the job market. According to a recent report by Coursera, the median age of learners upskilling in GenAI, cybersecurity, and emerging tech skills is 35 across the Middle East region. This reflects the willingness of aged workers to adapt to new skills in line with evolving workplaces.

To ensure companies have the necessary skills to stay ahead of technological innovation, employers should encourage technology training participation across all age groups, not just younger employees.

In a recent conversation with us, Iman Al Qasim of EGA also reflected, “Today, we are learning the importance of leaders not only leading but also continuously learning. With the rapid pace of technological advancement, it's crucial for all, especially those with 20+ years of experience who have never encountered AI, to remain open to ongoing education. This includes exploring reverse mentoring. While traditional mentoring remains vital, especially in highly skilled and technical companies like ours, we are also starting to introduce reverse mentoring. This approach ensures that leaders stay up to date with the latest trends alongside traditional learning methods, online learning, and modern blended learning.”

She added that organisations can embrace innovative ways of learning, allowing both experienced workers and new talent to upskill their careers alike

#2 Workplace inclusivity

Fostering a workplace that meets the needs of aged workers is essential for enhancing employee engagement, boosting self-esteem, ensuring a healthy and safe workplace, and increasing productivity, ultimately leading to sustainable business success.

Older workers are more reliable in terms of stability compared to new talent, which is more willing to job-hop for better pay and benefits. Senior workers are more likely to stay with their current organisations if they are offered basic benefits such as flexible working hours, a healthy work-life balance, and improved job roles. This flexibility encourages older employees to remain longer in the workforce and supports those with health conditions.

Furthermore, employers should focus on creating ergonomic workplaces that reduce injuries for aged frontline workers and implement safety measures for older outdoor workers. These steps can address health-related absenteeism, reduce compensation costs, and maintain a productive workforce.

#3 Implementing well-being and capacity programmes

Implementing functional capacity well-being programmes helps ensure workers are physically fit for their roles, allowing them to perform tasks safely and without injury. These programmes decrease lost workdays and lower insurance costs. They include pre-employment, fit-for-duty, and return-to-work medical exams, medical surveillance, and wellness education. They assess physical capabilities, such as operating heavy machinery or lifting equipment, alongside medical conditions.

#4 Cross-team collaborations

Another way to improve engagement and learning for older workers is to encourage cross-team collaborations. Since the older generation has distinct learning styles and motivations, particularly towards practical learning, fostering a learning culture where they can engage with young workers can cater to ongoing training needs and help them learn high-growth job market skills. Employers should assess the skills and experience of older talent to create customised training programs and then establish cross-team learning initiatives with young, talented workers who have the needed expertise. In addition, rewards and recognition programs can motivate experienced employees who lead training sessions or mentor younger colleagues, enhancing teamwork and earning peer respect.

Addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by an aged workforce is crucial for future workforce sustainability. As aged talents play an increasingly significant role in the labour market, employers must implement inclusive policies, training initiatives, and flexible work arrangements to support their integration and continued productivity.