Older employees: vital or worn?

Employers invest too little in older employees, while the over-50s today are more vital than ever. Employers often mistakenly assume they are too expensive or not productive enough. A study conducted by the Dutch research group TOTTA shows that employers tend to exclude older workers. However, that is not a smart strategy.

1 in 3 young workers change jobs within two years, while only 5% of workers between 45 and 65 years do the same. To assure our retirement, employers should choose a different path. It is thus important that companies continue to invest.

According to David Bainbridge, reproductive biologist at the University of Cambridge and author of ‘Midlife Myth’, there are only advantages to hiring and keeping people over 50. Due to a structural change in the brains, they are able to process loads of information. Moreover, they are ideal managers and strategists because of their ability to set priorities well. Finally, they are emotionally stable and therefore better able to deal with conflicts, setbacks or unexpected events.

According to Joop Schippers, labor economist at the University of Utrecht, employers are unable to see the over-55s’ appeal because they themselves grew up in a time when people over 50 were seen as old and worn. In other words, there is an urgent need for a change in attitude!