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Human Capital Management

Are you an Age-Inclusive Employer?

Megan Rybak /

A recent study by Indeed finds that as firms are battling to attract young talent with perks like happy hours, free food, and ping pong tables, they may unintentionally be creating an environment that alienates older workers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting that 25 percent of workers will be at least 55 years old by 2019.  While companies may be spending a lot of time and effort on cultural, religious, and gender-focused diversity initiatives, they seem to fall short of addressing generational differences.

So, how do you become age-inclusive?

One way to accomplish this is for HR and hiring managers to re-visit the language contained within job descriptions and advertisements. For example, Indeed recently eliminated the college degree requirement for most roles in their sales and client service functions. They believed that it would attract many qualified workers who may not have graduated from college but who still offer incredibly valuable work experience.

Beyond the hiring process, age-inclusion can be infused in your array of benefit options and cultural initiatives. While younger workers may rank volunteer programs as an important company attribute, older workers may want more family time and prefer flexible work arrangements. Younger workers may be thinking more about day care, while older workers may be thinking more about about elder care. Check out this infographic to see how different generations have diverse recognition preferences and valued benefits. 

Given that the older generation brings diverse and valuable perspectives & experiences to the workplace, and that they will soon makeup a quarter of the workforce, employers should show that they value their older generation of workers by creating a culture that is age-inclusive.

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