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Working and ageing
38 Guidance and counselling for mature learners

such programmes. In Greece and especially in the UK introducing labour
saving technologies is a much preferred option as well.
Our conclusion that older workers are at the end of the line when it comes
to recruitment of new staff is illustrated by the answers to the direct question
posed to employers, which worker they would prefer to fill a vacancy: a
newcomer to the labour market, a worker with six-year experience or a very
experienced (and consequently somewhat older) worker with 25 years
experience. Most choose the worker with six-year experience (Greece 58%;
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Spain 63%; the Netherlands 75% ( )). Only few prefer the very experienced
candidate (Greece 20%; Spain 10%; the Netherlands 3%).
To conclude, even though employers, especially in the UK and the
Netherlands, and to a lesser extent in Greece, Spain and Hungary, experience
and/or expect labour-market shortages, they hesitate to consider older
workers as a solution. Maybe we should add ʻyetʼ. This picture only paints the
current state of affairs. When in the (nearby) future employers will actually
experience the turn of the tide they may trim their sails to the wind.

2.4.5. Initiatives to delay retirement
In-depth qualitative case studies of strategies and tools implemented by the
fair play for older workers project show that initiatives to invest in older workers
pay off and can ease longer working lives. It is of utmost importance to realise
that the decision-making process regarding retirement is not only influenced
by health and finance but also by work content and working conditions, which
affect how older workers feel and act and how processes of (dis)engagement
at work take place. Maybe the real challenge lies in how to learn to value older
workers and show older workers their value is recognised. In return this opens
the way to maximise the value of older workersʼ contributions to the
organisation.
Undervaluing contributions of older workers to the organisation can
decrease their participation in training programmes. It works from both sides.
When older workers are seen as dispensable, employers are less likely to
invest in training because they question whether investments will pay off.
Older workersʼ morale will drop being pushed to the side and do not feel the
need to participate in training programmes any longer. Further, case studies
show that the willingness of older workers to take part in training programmes
increases when needs, expectations, preferences and abilities of workers are

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( ) This question was not asked in the UK and Hungary.