More ways of utilising older workers

Chris Ball the CEO of TAEN has written a stimulating piece on what companies can do to utilise older workers. He describes a call centre at insurance company Domestic and General in Nottingham, where the management was keen to find ways of improving retention and recruitment of new workers. They encouraged applications from mature redundant former miners. In an industry characterised by young, highly mobile staff, this was a brave step, but it paid dividends. The former miners were given special training to handle the ICT and telephone equipment. Whilst it took them longer to learn, once the skills were acquired they performed satisfactorily. The company found that introducing older people had a positive impact on the organisation. They were better able to give wise advice to people calling about their domestic appliances. They stayed in their jobs longer and they had a good influence on the younger team members they worked with.