Tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail employers tell us the benefits of being part of the Age-friendly Employer Pledge
Ageing Better has hit another major landmark with the 500th employer committing to its Age-friendly Employer Pledge, says our Senior Programme Manager for Age-friendly Employment, Tracy Riddell.
In the two-and-a-half years since the founding of this free programme, a broad range of organisations have signed up to the pledge, 162 of whom employ 1,000 people or more. This includes employers such as Compass Group, McDonald’s and Joseph Holt.
All employers signed up to the Age-friendly Employer Pledge are united with a common vision: the value of older workers and a commitment to improving work for people in their 50s and 60s and taking the necessary action to help them flourish in a multigenerational workforce.
Among our pledge signers are 47 organisations in the tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail industries. Employers include Oliver Bonas, Delta Hotels, Elior UK, Special Bar Services Ltd, and Your Leisure.
Working in the tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail sectors can provide a great opportunity for older people. Many would like a career change or a return to employment after time away from the workplace. And because of skills and labour shortages across the whole of the UK caused by Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis, this provides many advantages for these sectors too. Solutions can be found when looking at the potential of older workers.
Employers in this sector tell us how they have benefited from signing the Age-friendly Employer Pledge and putting its principles into action.
Joseph Holt Brewery
Independent family brewers Joseph Holt was established in Manchester and runs 127 pubs across the Northwest. Last year the brewer celebrated its 175th anniversary.
The company believes that one reason for its enduring success is the experience and loyalty of its staff.
By being open-minded and looking at the benefits of employing older staff, Joseph Holt has been able to buck the trend when it comes to struggling to find quality staff.
The company is passionate about encouraging older people to come and work for them and are the first brewery to have signed the pledge. Alongside more than a dozen other hospitality employers, including a number of hotels and foodservice companies, they have committed to getting people in their 50s and 60s into the workplace and helping them thrive.
The Age-friendly Employer Pledge dovetails with Joseph Holt’s ethics and aspirations. They believe that if someone can do the job, then the date on their birth certificate is irrelevant. They employ landladies who span every generation from their 20s to their 70s.
The success of Joseph Holt illustrates that hospitality gives older workers career opportunities, variety and flexibility that add to job satisfaction.
Imperial Hotels
Imperial Hotels was established more than 200 years ago. The pandemic made them rethink hospitality in favour of older workers.
Having employed 1,200 people before COVID-19 struck, the hotel group found itself with only 125 in May 2021. They made significant strides in creating an age-friendly work environment which has increased their workforce and benefited their business.
But this didn’t happen by accident. They introduced cultural change which transformed their workforce.
Top tips from Imperial Hotels:
Culture change starts at the top – ensure senior management welcomes older workers.
Part-time and flexible roles can be attractive.
Invest in training and development to enable staff to move up the ladder.
Imperial London Hotels values its multigenerational workforce for the diverse talent pool it provides, especially during times of labour shortages. They believe that different generations can learn from each other.
They joined the Centre for Ageing Better’s Good Recruitment for Older Workers (GROW) project to reduce age bias in their recruitment process. Through this, they learned that the language and tone of their job adverts needed to change to be more inclusive of older workers. After making these changes, they saw improvements in the quality of candidates they attracted.
Imperial London Hotels recognises the need for continuous improvement to be an age-friendly employer. Their next challenge is to adopt training practices, benefits, and company culture that appeal to a diverse workforce.
Being part of the Age-friendly Employer Pledge network will help them continue their growth and development as an employer.
If you have any questions about how you could add your name to the growing number of hospitality, travel, leisure and retail employers signing up to the Age-friendly Employer Pledge then click the link below.
