Managing an Aging Workforce: Risks, Challenges & Solutions

Introduction

The workforce is aging in the 21st century (Heggeness, Carter-Johnson, Schaffer, & Rockey, 2016). An aging workforce presents certain challenges for management in today's workplace. Not only does it mean that the workplace will consist of multiple generations of workers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but it also means that issues like ageism, appropriate motivational approaches, and the physical limitations of older workers must be addressed. With more than a third of today's workers now expecting to work past the age of retirement, an aging workforce is fast becoming a reality (Lassila, 2019). As more and more people delay retirement, the workforce is becoming much more diverse and eclectic. Managers thus have a number of considerations to make. This paper describes the challenges of managing an aging workforce and recommends solutions that managers can use to overcome those challenges and create a supportive workplace environment for all.

Managing Risks

One of the main challenges of managing an aging workforce is managing risks. Risks can come in the form of safety, such as onsite accidents, or health (Lassila, 2019). Depending on the type of workplace environment, safety risks can be great or small. In a construction-type environment, safety risks for an aging workforce will be significant (Koh, Rowlinson, & Pollock, 2019). Providing video instruction or relying on educational lectures to train an aging workforce about workplace safety will not be sufficient; managers will need to provide hands-on training, walking older workers through safety protocols so that they understand them and gain first-hand knowledge directly (Lassila, 2019).

Managing the rest cycles of older workers will also be necessary, particularly in fast-paced workplaces—such as restaurants or health facilities—where workers are expected to be on their feet and active throughout their entire work shift. To prevent burnout or high turnover, older workers will need to be given more rest opportunities, which will help to shore up morale and keep the workplace culture from eroding into negativity (Lassila, 2019). Older workers are not going to have the same stamina they had in their 20s or 30s. Ensuring that older workers are not becoming exhausted on the job is important, and managers should take care that older employees are getting enough rest.

Providing benefits and wellness programs are other ways to manage risk with respect to an aging workforce (Ciutiene & Railaite, 2015). Changing work schedules or using health coaches can be ways of keeping an aging workforce healthy and engaged in their work. Paying attention to the ergonomics of the workplace and eliminating factors that could lead to fatigue or stress are additional ways of managing these risks and preventing older workers from becoming sick, worn out, or injured (Lassila, 2019). Managers can do a great deal to manage and minimize the risks associated with having an aging workforce. Most of these risks can readily be addressed and require simply a little accommodation on the part of management.

To prevent issues like ageism from arising, managers should discuss the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Just because the majority of employees are likely to be younger and not of retiring age does not mean they can express ageist beliefs or attitudes. Diversity and inclusivity are important in a 21st-century workplace culture, and managers must ensure that older workers do not feel they are being treated unfairly by colleagues. All employees should understand that prejudice towards others because of their age will not be tolerated.

Challenges of an Aging Workforce

The fact is that aging is associated with a decline in function, as Truxillo, Cadiz, and Hammer (2015) indicate. Sensory capacity, muscle capacity, and aerobic capacity are all areas in which an aging workforce can face obstacles. Older workers may also lack stamina and have reduced homeostasis—that is, the ability to operate normally even after a change in environment. In short, older workers face challenges in each of the following categories:

In the physical changes category, workers are likely to experience sensory, muscular, and aerobic obstacles. Their immune system will not be as strong as a younger person's, and they are less likely to be resilient to changes in the environment—such as fluctuations in temperature or loss of sleep (Truxillo et al., 2015). Cognitive changes can result in challenges related to fluid intelligence—that is, age-related alterations in the person's ability to process information, rely on memory, or focus and pay attention during a task. Crystallized intelligence presents another cognitive change and refers to the person's ability to gain new knowledge, skills, or wisdom. The older people get, the harder it usually is for them to learn new skills (Truxillo et al., 2015). Thus, another challenge for managing an aging workforce is learning how to work with their more limited capacity for skill acquisition.

Affective changes include emotional regulation and emotion generation. As Truxillo et al. (2015) point out, there is a positive correlation between aging and affective well-being. Likewise, older adults are more likely to avoid stressful situations and focus on being part of positive environments. In other words, their utility across a wide variety of environments—whether positive or negative, stressful or easy—is somewhat limited. They are unlikely to want to work in high-stress areas or be part of negative workplace environments.

It is not all negative when it comes to an aging workforce, however. In terms of personality, aging workers are more likely to develop appropriate levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness than younger workers. They also tend to become less neurotic as they age. They tend to have more self-discipline than younger workers and are more inclined toward maintaining orderliness. They prefer workplaces to be neat and tidy, and they are not afraid to assert themselves and take a dominant, leader-like position in the workplace (Truxillo et al., 2015).

At the same time, their overall vitality in the workplace tends to be lower than that of younger workers. In terms of motivation, older workers are more likely to be intrinsically motivated—driven by a sense of accomplishment—than younger workers, who are more often motivated by extrinsic factors such as pay or promotions. Older workers are less likely to have strong growth motives because they are generally not as interested in mastering new skills; however, they may have generativity—a desire to help others and contribute positively to society or to the greater common good (Truxillo et al., 2015).

Conclusion

The aging workforce is a fact of life in today's world. Workers are now working past the traditional age of retirement, and this brings certain challenges, risks, and benefits for managers and the organizations they serve. The risks include health and safety concerns. Older workers are likely to need more hands-on training. They are more likely to require ergonomic accommodations. They do not adjust well to environmental changes, and their stamina is unlikely to match that of younger workers. They may need more frequent rest to prevent burnout, and their presence may prompt ageist attitudes among younger colleagues. All of these issues can be addressed by managers.

Risks can be mitigated by adjusting the workplace environment to meet the needs of the aging workforce—whether by installing better lighting, adjusting the height of work surfaces, bringing in health coaches, modifying schedules, or improving rest cycles. Additionally, managers can promote diversity and inclusivity in workplace culture to reduce the risk of ageism. These challenges and risks are thus not insurmountable. Moreover, the benefits of having older workers in the workplace are substantial. They can mentor younger employees, demonstrate strong loyalty to the organization, and bring a constructive, experienced perspective that enriches workplace culture. Older workers can bring a positive attitude to the workplace that is much needed—and that any forward-thinking manager should be eager to cultivate.

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