Age Diversity: Your secret weapon to drive Inclusion?

Age, and the ageing process, is something we all share. It doesn’t matter how we identify in gender, orientation or ethnicity, we all have age in common, it’s a fact of life, and it leads us to want the same things — security, love, opportunity, fun — all at different stages of our lives.  Age Diversity is a powerful driver for Inclusion, but it is seldom recognised as such, and even more rarely used. Which is odd as we are definitely living in the era of the multi-generational workforce. We are living longer, working longer and all want the opportunity and exposure to fresh ideas and innovation. There are some unhelpful entrenched attitudes across the generational spectrum even the so called geniuses of the here and now do not get –  “young people are just smarter” so said Mark Zuckerberg in 2007. It would be interesting to know his view today at the ripe old age of 35. It’s time these stereotypes were challenged. 

We think that if you have older workers with wisdom and experience, specialised knowledge and an un-paralled ability to teach, coach and mentor, you should use them. Why not link them with the ambitious younger workforce and future leaders to create a business for the future that does not repeat the mistakes of its past. Insurance is becoming a market of choice for entry to attract (and retain)  school-leavers, grads and those embarking on their second career. Firms need talent and we need to work out how to use it and retain it. 

We are in the Third Industrial Revolution. Employees are pushing boundaries –  they do not want to work for firms who endorse the old-style conventional working day. We are demanding space to think and the freedom to choose. Technology has facilitated the construct of the new working week and the concept of the work/ life model is now spoken of freely. The working life-span is also changing. For all number of reasons we will be working longer, living longer and we are already seeing major life events happening much later. Unsurprisingly, for many organisations in other sectors (our customers!) the ‘life-stage’ appropriate environment is a key priority in their cultural make-up and is already proving to be essential in their success. We want to see business leaders in the Insurance sector becoming more aware and being proactive. Some of the tools are so simple it would be naïve not to try them. 

So how do you get in touch with your intergenerational workforce’s changing ambitions, needs and motivations? 

Here are 5 things to try 

1. Mentoring is a great way to harness experience and works best in a structured approach. 
2. Have collaborative internal aims; consciously work together differently. 
3. When undertaking projects ensure there is a breadth of experience, don’t allow silo’s: tech is not the sole domain of the young and don’t limit  strategy for those of grey hair. 
4. Reverse mentoring helps:  organisations and individuals develop a ‘mindfulness’ approach to talent development. 
5. Look around your firm and use experienced colleagues as internal trainers and supporters of emerging talent: particularly useful when working on developing softer skills and your own brand. Use younger colleagues to give insight into new trends, feedback on what drives them to be passionate about the business and what matters in how that company performs and behaves. 

An inclusive organisation is by definition a more equal organisation. And a growing body of research shows that equal organisations innovate more, perform better and attract and retain the best talent.  Age Diversity = your secret weapon to unlock that virtual circle.