Page 112 - increasing-the-value-of-age-guidance-in-employers-age-management-strategies
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Increasing the value of age: guidance in employers’ age management strategies








                     Figure 9.   Total overview of the effects

                          Individual level        Organisation level         National level

                        increasing job satisfaction    attractive employer    stronger economy
                        staying longer in       skilled and productive    strengthening the pension
                         employment              workforce                system
                        increasing skills and    costs reduction/prevention,    improving quality of life
                         competences             by:                      reducing social security
                        increasing health       -  preventing severance   costs
                         (mental/physical)         pay                    better match between
                        increasing career       -  less hiring temporary   education and labour
                         perspective               external workers       market
                                                 productive workforce    good examples and results
                                                 increasing innovation   inspire
                                                 better work culture     other organisations and
                                                 stronger social capital   countries
                                                 improving human resource
                                                 policy

                       Source:   Authors.

                     7.2.1.1.  Individual level
                     The effects of guidance activities at individual level are the most direct, as seen in
                     the case studies. The job satisfaction of the employees rises because of the age
                     management  strategy.  They  are  more  motivated  than  before,  and  more
                     employees  choose  to  stay  in  their  jobs  longer  after  the  introduction  of  an  age
                     management approach.
                         Using guidance helps create a better environment where older employees
                     are  stimulated  to  use  (and  keep  using)  their  unique  skill  set  and  to  continue
                     working as productively as possible before retirement (and in some cases after
                     retirement).  Career  guidance  stimulates  older  employees  to  work  on  their  own
                     employability, learning new skills and transferring expertise.
                         Another situation reported in some cases is the positive effect of guidance
                     activities  in  reducing  negative  stereotypes  of  older  employees.  Paying  specific
                     attention to the importance of older employees in the workplace has a reported
                     positive effect on the job satisfaction of those employees.
                         This effect of increasing job satisfaction is reportedly also reflected in hiring,
                     with all employees treated equally, as seen in the statement from an employee in
                     the Czech Society for Quality: ‘I had lost my previous job and I was already over
                     50. Then I applied for job to CSQ and I participated in an open competition with
                     another  eight  candidates  who  were  mostly  younger  than  me.  And  I  was  really
                     amazed by the fair attitude where age played absolutely no role’.
                         This also means that working lives are being successfully lengthened, in a
                     way that is mutually satisfactory for the firm and for workers. At Enemærke og
                     Petersen  (Denmark), the  guidance  and flexibility  offered to  the  employees  has








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