Get ready for National Older Workers Week 2022

Read about National Older Workers Week

With job vacancy levels still high and concerns about older workers dropping out of the workforce during Covid, employers are being urged to do more to recruit and retain more experienced individuals.

This year’s National Older Workers Week will help provide the inspiration and advice they need to do so.

2022 is the second year WM People has held the week of events, which draw on research and best practice in age diversity.

This year’s event is sponsored by Phoenix Group and runs from the 21st – 25th November 2022. It includes four free online events, the first three for employers and the last for candidates.

It begins with Older Workers Challenges & Insights, a dissection of the latest findings from workingwise.co.uk’s annual survey, sponsored by Santander Consumer Finance. The survey covers everything from older workers’ experience of the recruitment process, any perceived ageism in the process and in promotional opportunities and access to training, attitudes to flexible working, retirement plans, attitudes and experience of changing jobs, whether what older workers are looking for in a job has changed over the years, caring responsibilities and health issues, particularly as a result of Covid.

The findings will be discussed by Kirstie Donnelly, Chief Executive of City & Guilds Group, Caroline Waters, Deputy Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Vice President of Carers UK, Patrick Thomson, Head of Research, Analysis and Policy at Phoenix Insights and Mandy Garner, editor of workingwise.co.uk.

Last year’s survey found that that, in order to be considered for employment, almost half (44%) of respondents admitted to altering their age on their CV to apply for a role, and one in three (34%) of older workers have experienced ageism in the interview process for a role.

The second event is Creating an age inclusive workplace and features expert advice on best practice when it comes to everything from midlife MOTs and the menopause to age diverse recruitment and retention. Speakers are Alistair McQueen, Head of Savings and Retirement at Aviva, Kim Chaplain, Specialist Adviser for Work at the Centre for Ageing Better, Duncan Forbes, Capability and Place Director for People Strategy at DWP People, Laurence Gouldbourne, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at DEFRA and Gillian Nissim, founder of WM People.

The third event is Older Workers: The Action Plan which will focus on key learnings from NOWW, how employers can commit to taking action on age diversity and specific actions employers can take from recruitment to developing an age-inclusive culture, backed by the launch of an Action Plan Toolkit. Speakers include Catherine Foot, Director of Phoenix Insights, Mandy Garner, editor of workingwise.co.uk and Gillian Nissim, founder of WM People.

The final event, Get The Job You Want – A Masterclass, is for candidates. Sponsored by David Lloyd Clubs, it will cover everything from CV writing, how to negotiate Applicant Tracking Systems, how to explain career gaps and application forms to interview tips, both online and face to face. Careers expert Liz Sebag-Montefiore, Director and Co‑Founder of 10eighty, will give advice.

The Phoenix Group is also offering anyone looking to support people looking to change direction through free places with the organisation Brave Starts and workingwise.co.uk is interested in finding out how it can better support those returning to work from a career gap.

*To take part in workingwise.co.uk’s survey, click here.

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