Before you start making plans to make your organisation’s culture more welcoming to older workers, it’s really important to know where you are right now and figure out where you could make the biggest difference.
This diagnostic tool will help you take a look at how age-friendly and inclusive your organisation’s culture is right now. Remember that older workers aren’t all the same, and what they experience at work is influenced by more than just their age. It’s also shaped by things like their race and ethnicity, gender, disability, health, caring responsibilities, financial situation, sexual orientation, faith and the type of employment they have - part-time, shift work, knowledge-based, desk-based, etc.
By looking at things from different angles, you can see how factors like race and ethnicity, gender, disability, health, caring, money, sexual orientation, faith and employment can affect what older workers experience and have access to.
The tool gives you prompts to talk about, think about and plan, however it does not cover everything. It will help you look at your culture from different angles, including the information you have about employees aged 50+, how different groups of older workers feel about the workplace, what leaders are already doing to support an age-friendly and inclusive culture and where you might need to do more.
Getting to know your current culture
The first part of the tool will guide you through looking at your current culture. Every organisation is different, so part of this is thinking about not only how older workers are actually doing in your workplace, but also what a good, inclusive and age-friendly culture would be like for different groups of older workers.
You’ll be asked to think about what you know about your current and future older workforce. For example:
- Are workers aged 50+ getting flexible working, learning and development, chances to move up and support for their wellbeing?
- Do different groups of older workers, like older women, those with disabilities, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals or those with caring responsibilities, have different experiences or outcomes?
- Are older applicants moving through recruitment and selection at the same pace as other age groups, and are some groups facing extra challenges?
- What does your data say about how well older workers are retained, progressing, engaged and well-being across different groups?
The assessment also invites you to explore how older workers feel about working for you, understanding that experiences can vary greatly depending on identity and situation. It is also important to think about how you want employees to feel about your organisation and whether that vision includes the diversity within your older workforce.
Leadership, organisational commitment and shared responsibility
The following sections encourage you to think about how leaders can show they are committed to building a culture that is both age-friendly and fair. Leaders are key in creating the conditions for inclusion, but real and lasting change needs commitment from everyone in the organisation.
A strong age-friendly culture acknowledges and values the different experiences of older workers and aims to remove barriers that might affect certain groups more than others. The tool encourages you to consider what leaders, managers, teams and employees can do to promote inclusion, belonging and equal opportunities for all workers as they get older.
Identifying gaps and planning action
Some actions in this tool might not seem directly relevant to your organisation. However, completing the exercise should help you spot areas where your current approach could be improved, including where certain groups of older workers might not be getting enough support or experiencing unequal outcomes. It can also help you find areas to build on and areas that need more attention.
You can then use the action planning tool that comes with this to create specific, evidence-based actions that support a more age-friendly, inclusive workplace culture.
