Tide turns slowly on age prejudice

Grace du Prie writes: "Is it really true that employers are starting to value experience again and that mature-aged workers have better chances now to find employment?" Grace, the tide is definitely turning.

Catriona Byrne is a director of both 45+ job board Adage and consulting firm Sageco. She said: "After years of talking about it, the realisation is hitting industry that the available talent pool is dramatically shrinking. With 85 per cent of new labour force growth coming from the over 45s, only employers who understand how to attract and retain the mature worker will thrive."

Adage has just held the first mature-age-friendly employer awards. I was on the judging panel with diversity expert Juliet Bourke of Aequus Partners and Recruitment & Consulting Services Association CEO Julie Mills. I learnt a great deal listening to Juliet and Julie.

They were both pretty strict judges about employers needing genuine policies that addressed mature workers as individuals with differing needs to make their list. Brisbane City Council was declared the stand out winner.

The council has projects and policies fostering career development for older staff, flexible work arrangements, support for those looking after elderly parents, graduated retirement options and more. It's all progressive stuff. I particularly liked the council's "alumni network" where retired employees are told of short term and project work in case they want to work now and then.

The companies short listed were Abacus; AMP; ANZ; Aurora Energy; CareersMultilist; Commonwealth Bank; Gold Coast Water; IBM; Insurance Australia Group; JPMorgan; Masonic Care Queensland; SA Water; St George Bank; St Vincents & Mater Health; Sunstate Cement; TACTICS Consulting; The Salvation Army; Westpac; and 360HR.

By Kate Southam, Editor of careerone.com.au

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