7. Employability - Seeking Intergenerational Solutions

1. Seeking Intergenerational Solutions
Improving Awareness and providing
strategies from European projects
19th March 2014
macroberts Art Centre, Stirling, Scotland

2. Objectives of the session
"In times of change, the ‘learners’ will inherit the Earth, while the 'knowers'
will find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer
exists.”
Eric Hoffer, 1902 - 1983
1. To bring together key stakeholders to ‘learn’ about the different projects
and results
2. To provide a ‘space’ for ‘reflection’ on how these issues affect your
organisation
3. To offer potential ‘solutions’ and strategies that can assist with greater
generational diversity in the workplace

3. An ‘Ageing’ Iceberg
Ageing Workforce
What we know

4. Population Change

5. An ‘Ageing’ Iceberg
Ageing Workforce
What we know

6. Population Ageing
Age distribution of the working age population (15-64)
Source: Analytical support in the setting of EU employment rate targets for 2020

7. An ‘Ageing’ Iceberg
Ageing Workforce
What we know
Below replacement fertility

8. Changing Fertility
Total Fertility Rates, 1960 -2060
Source: European Commission 2012 Ageing Report

9. An ‘Ageing’ Iceberg
Ageing Workforce
What we know
Below replacement fertility

10. Reduced Infant Mortality
Infant mortality, 1996 and 2011
Source: European Commission/Eurostat, 2012

11. An ‘Ageing’ Iceberg
Ageing Workforce
What we know
Below replacement fertility

12. Life Expectancy – Men
Projection of Life Expectancy at 65 (men) EUROPOP2010
Source: European Commission 2012 Ageing Report

13. Life Expectancy - Women
Projection of Life Expectancy at 65 (women) EUROPOP2010
Source: European Commission 2012 Ageing Report

14. An ‘Ageing’ Iceberg
Ageing Workforce
What we know
Below replacement fertility

15. Economic old age dependency ratio
Effective economic old-age dependency ratio
Source: European Commission 2012 Ageing Report

16. An ‘Ageing’ Iceberg
Ageing Workforce
Changing Mind-sets
What we know Changes
Below replacement fertility
Financial security

17. Of Individuals
 Policy changes will see individuals working
longer and later in life
 A real need to rethink retirement
 Post-industrialisation means that physical job
demands have changed
 Learning and skills development is important
for continual workforce participation

18. Of Employers
 Moving away from redundancy programmes that
target older employees
 “For the economy, at a time when increasing productivity is
vital for boosting economic growth, the loss of valuable
experience and expertise that our older workforce possesses
could be severely damaging” (Tinsley, 2012)
 Dispelling common myths and stereotypes of older
employees
 “Older workers suffer mainly from discrimination due to
expectations of withdrawal from the labour market,
assumptions about health, assumptions about vitality and
about competence” (Metcalf and Meadow, 2006)
 Improving generational diversity may lead to
improved productivity and performance

19. Important for business?
Ford ‘Third Age’ Suit
“We developed this suit to
show our engineers and
designers what it feels
like to be an older person”
Dr Achim Lindner,
Physician at the
European Ford Research
Centre

20. The target market is ageing
 Most headroom of any car in its class
 Lower door ‘lip’ to allow easier
access and seats are higher
 Higher suspension to make it taller
 Handles on the door pillars to assist
entry
 Larger fonts and dials on the
dashboard
 Relocation of ignition to assist those
with joint problems

21. Of Policy Makers
 Unsustainable welfare systems and health
services
 Major economic consequences of inaction –
unprecedented economic burden on the
working age population
 Achieving the employment rate target of
75% outlined in the EU2020 Strategy will be
impossible to achieve
 Consequences of inaction: economically;
politically; ethically; culturally

22. SILVER Project
Successful Intergenerational Learning through
Validation, Education & Research

23. SILVER Project - Who?
THE BUCHAREST
ACADEMY OF
ECONOMIC STUDIES
Project Duration: Nov 2011 – Oct 2013
Funded by: European Commission Lifelong Learning
Programme (Grundtvig)

24. Why?
Problems associated with Ageing Workforce
• Alienation and exclusion from lifelong learning and development
• Underutilisation
• Early retirements
• Loss of critical knowledge

25. What?
• Preliminary studies show that IGL
might be an effective way to solve
parts of the problem
• IGL is the process of knowledge
building, innovation and knowledge
transfer that takes place through
lifelong learning
• Allows organisations to prosper from
the knowledge of all generations in
the workplace
• Provides alternative opportunities to
access non-formal and informal adult
education
• Previously unexplored field

26. How?
The SILVER project developed a toolkit to
help organisations maintain and develop
capacity by utilising the knowledge and
capabilities of older (55+) workers. The toolkit
is essentially a flexible system comprised of
workshops and other materials that stimulate
learning between the generations (IGL).

27. Toolkit Testing
• Tested over a three month period
• Six countries
• Variety of sectors – higher education, health, IT,
government, infrastructure
• 40 organisations – Network Rail, Scottish Power
• Feedback was gathered from testing phase and toolkit was
further developed and improved
• Final version

28. Testing
Three main areas were tested:
1. Stakeholder Awareness Program that
helps HR professionals to pave the way for
introducing IGL.
2. ‘Doing IGL Toolbox’ which includes a range
of workshops and a training manual .
3. Web-based game for illustrating the key
benefits of IGL.

29. Stakeholder Awareness
• Research indicates that IGL is successful when key
staff have a Optimum Level of Awareness
• Identify Stakeholders and their current Level of
Awareness of IGL
• Questionnaire tool or interview is used

30. 4 Levels of Awareness
Level 1 – Awareness of demographic change in the
country or sector
Level 2 – Aware of the effects of demographic change
within the organisation
Level 3 – Aware of the benefits of consideration of age-
related issues and the needs of various generations
within the organisation
Level 4 – Awareness of the benefits of IGL for the
organisation and the barriers and stimulators for IGL
within the organisation.

31. STAP Campaign – select appropriate STAP Tool
• Mass Media – brochures about the benefits of IGL,
creating a blog on the company’s website with a
weekly topic from the field of demographic change
and IGL with employees as contributors
• Personal communication – workshops to reduce
age-related prejudices, social events such as
‘Generation Days’ (with talks, food, games,
competitions)
• Education – Study trips to organisations who have
implemented IGL successfully
• Advocacy/lobbying – Nominate ‘ambassadors for
IGL’ (with specific responsibilities)

32. DIGL – Doing Intergenerational Learning
Type of IGL Problem it helps solve Investment needed
Intergenerational and reverse mentoring Prevent knowledge and competence loss;
stimulate knowledge creation and
innovation.
Moderate to high
Intergenerational teams Prevent knowledge and competence loss;
stimulate knowledge creation and
innovation.
Moderate to high
Intergenerational Knowledge Capturing Prevent knowledge loss Low
Trainings and Workshops Prevent knowledge and competence loss;
stimulate knowledge creation and
innovation.
Low

33. Doing Intergenerational Learning
• Identified two companies to be involved in testing
process
• Network Rail – Mentoring and Teams
• Scottish Power – Mentoring
• Training Session on IGL
• Log Book for recording observations
• Pilot process for 3 months
• Follow-up meeting

34. DIGL – Doing Intergenerational Learning
• Material developed for each of the 4 types of IGL
(Mentoring, Teams, Knowledge Capturing and
Workshops)
• Management Brief – background information
• Trainers Guide
• Toolkit – objectives, activities, guide to running
activities, resources
• Evaluation materials
• Research-based evidence

35. Workshop – Introduction to Implementing IGT’s
• Requirements of using the tool e.g. at least 8
people in the group, materials needed
• When the tool is appropriate
• Exercises and how to conduct them
• Learning point
• Critical success factors
• Evaluation tools

36. Who are we talking about?
• “They are always so opinionated. They think they
know it all.”
• “I hate the way they drive. They are a menace on
the road.”
• “They are very loyal employees.”
• “Don’t hire them, you can’t depend on them.”
• “They can’t adapt to new technology.”
• “They are always taking sick days.”

37. • Four generations in the workplace ?
Intergenerational Teams
Millennial/
Gen Y
Gen X Boomers Silent
Generation
Born after
1980
Born between
1965 - 1980
Born between
1946 - 1964
Born between
1925 - 1945

38. Older Workers
Negative Perceptions
• Reluctant to learn
• Lower productivity
• Prone to ill health
• Less adaptable to
technological change
• Resistant to management
• Uninterested in career
progression
Reality
• Lack of encouragement
restricts participation
• Experience – retention of
corporate knowledge
• Reliable
• A strong work ethic
• Loyal employees

39. Younger Workers
Negative Perceptions
• Less committed than
older workers
• Unreliable
• Poor timekeeping
Reality
• Younger employees
tend to be energetic
• Adaptable and open
to new ideas
• Enthusiastic and
willing to learn

40. • Written word
• Email
• Text
• IMS
• Phone
• Face to face
Communication and language
differences

41. 1. What are the benefits to you?
2. For your organisation?
Why set up Intergenerational Teams?

42. • IGT’s are created using workers of
different generations in order to draw on
each team members’ specific knowledge,
skills and experience.
• They work because they are about the
formulation of common objectives and are
cooperative rather than competitive.
Intergenerational Teams

43. Web-based Game
A simple game which can be used
to raise awareness of the benefits of
Intergenerational Learning.
Available at www.intergenerationallearning.eu

44. Conclusions
• Evidence suggests that IGL is an effective
method of dealing with some of the effects of the
ageing workforce
• Benefits include, knowledge transfer, increased
capacity to innovate – working together more
effectively, mutual trust and cooperation, reverse
mentoring
• Create cultures that are open to IGL among the
workforce
• IGL should form part of a comprehensive
approach to Age Management that pulls together
all the dimensions of age management

45. LIKE
Learning through Innovative
management concepts to ensure
transfer of Knowledge of elderly
people

46. About LIKE
Project Duration: Oct 2011 – Sep 2014
Funded by : European Commission Lifelong Learning
Programme (Grundtvig)
Lifelong Learning Research Institute – Athens
Partners – UK, Greece, Sweden, Poland and Spain

47. Project Aims
• To develop new approaches for combatting age barriers in employment
• To promote the adaptability of the older workforce to the changing
business environment
• To develop age management business concepts in favour of
participation, performance and productivity of older workers

48. Fulfilling Company Potential

49. A Model for Enterprises on Age
Management
Recruitment & Retention
• Adopt age neutral recruitment and selection practices e.g. ensure qualified staff
carry out interviews, selection process focussed on skills and not age
• Examine induction policies
• Make it clear to all that older workers are valued
• Potential benefits – recruiting older staff can raise general skills level of the
company, leads to intergenerational knowledge transfer, productivity and
innovation can be increased, greater age diversity, improve corporate image

50. A Model for Enterprises on Age
Management
Learning and Development
• Training and development meets the needs of the individual and business
regardless of age
• Intergenerational knowledge transfer – mixed age teams, mentoring is promoted
• Employers take steps to understand the challenges and barriers faced by older
workers
• Cost- benefit of investing in older workers
• Potential benefits – increased skills level and capacity for innovation, quality
improvement, improved motivation and flexibility, intergenerational knowledge
transfer

51. A Model for Enterprises on Age
Management
Health Protection & Promotion
• Finnish concept of Work Ability – encourages employees to consider their
current ability to work and look at ways to improve future work potential
• Research has shown that a decline in work ability can be slowed down or halted
with the correct interventions
• Health checks, ergonomic workplace design, health promoting working time
arrangements
• Potential benefits include high levels of job satisfaction, motivation, reduced
sickness absence

52. A Model for Enterprises on Age
Management
Exit & Transition to Retirement
• Pre-retirement advice should support transition from work to retirement
• Flexible form of transition which allow a phased approach to retirement
• Potential benefits – succession planning carried out strategically,
intergenerational knowledge transfer, enhance corporate image, utilise skills of
retired staff

53. A Model for Enterprises on Age
Management
Flexible Working
• Key to successful flexible working is effective communication with staff
• Ensure business requirements are not compromised by introducing a range of
flexible working opportunities
• Potential benefits – positive effects on staff health and motivation, optimal
utilisation of staff, reduced absenteeism, rise in productivity, encouraging delay
of retirement

54. A Model for Enterprises on Age
Management
Career Development
• Communicate a message that opportunities exist regardless of age and staff
have an equal opportunity for progression
• Potential benefits – continual development of skills, qualifications and
experience, motivation, commitment, flexibility and productivity, reduction in
early retirement as a result of career dead-ends, avoids critical knowledge loss

55. A Model for Enterprises on Age
Management
Redeployment
• Managed properly redeployment can re-energise and re-motivate older workers
• Potential benefits – reduced workload and pressure on individuals, constant or
improved productivity, reduced sick leave

56. A Model for Enterprises on Age
Management
Comprehensive Approach
• Pulls together all dimensions of the age management strategy
• A holistic approach will have greater impact
• Capitalise on abilities of older workers and help address some of the problems
associated with ageing workforce
• Potential benefits – steam-lined HR strategy, greater acceptance by staff and
management, more permanent effect

57. What strategies could your business
use to meet the challenges of
demographic change?

58. Thank You