It’s fashionable but not enough is being done
A recent survey has found that while leading Australian employers are changing their attitude towards older workers and taking positive steps to retain them they have not fully embraced this growing demographic.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Network of Australasia (EEONA) surveyed 32 leading employers (including ING, BlueScope Steel and Westpac) to identify why and how they are implementing diversity and equality programs.

Key findings included:

1. Age diversity is the new black. In 2005 44% of best practice organisations had programs to address age diversity, in comparison with only 25% in 2003. The research shows that the majority of these programs focus on the retention of older workers (94%) and maximising their performance (95%). ‘This is a great improvement, but it’s a narrow focus. We still don’t think about the broader agenda, for example changing our recruitment or marketing strategies to embrace older workers. A continued focus on recruiting younger workers and youthful advertising, for example, misses an opportunity to market to the growing ageing demographic” says Juliet Bourke Chair of EEONA. The research showed that only 53% of age programs target recruitment, and only 18% marketing and sales results.
2. Diversity programs are not diverse. Even in best practice organisations, diversity programs are not diverse and prioritise women, harassment, caring responsibilities and disability ahead of religion, nationality and race.

1. Employers should identify the business benefits beyond attracting and retaining employees. For example older workers may develop new products and identify new ways to market to mature consumers.
2. Employers need to address all aspects of diversity, measure diversity program outcomes and hold managers accountable for implementation.