Benefits of hiring older workers

We all know that hiring the right people for your business is imperative to the success of your company. After all, that’s what Michael Page is here for. A mixture of the right attitude, experiences, skills, and availability make the perfect candidate.

However, ageism is not only a factor when hiring, but a growing one at that.

Michael Page’s Talent Trends 2025 report reveals the results regarding inclusivity, and those pertaining to ageism are troubling.

 
12% of respondents said they faced discrimination in their current role. Which has risen by 2% since 2024. Of that, the most common discrimination experienced was age, at 37%.

Since we at Michael Page successfully fill job vacancies for thousands of businesses per year, we wanted to shed light on why hiring (and keeping) older workers is beneficial to your company.

Advantages of hiring experienced workers

There is an obvious and hungry audience who are too often overlooked, the more experienced hire, who not only brings ‘more experience’ but also greater stability and equal measures of longevity to the business. Experienced hires have greater reference points of change and transformation and can pull from the many situations.”  – James Nally, Senior Operating Director, Michael Page UK.

• Experience and expertise
  The number of years’ experience is often the first factor mentioned in job ads, so why not consider those with the most expertise and experience in the industry and workforce?
  These more experienced workers fundamentally understand the profession, have risen through the ranks, and have worked through every issue your business could encounter.
   

• Mentorship and knowledge transfer
  With this wealth of experience through various roles and job titles, these employees often become mentors for the younger and less experienced members of the workforce, something that companies can utilise. From company-specific training to building soft skills; mentoring and training sessions from more experienced hires can pass on expertise and boost company morale in a cost-effective way.
  James Nally also comments, “If you use the services of a 'coach' outside of work, you usually find 'coaches' who have studied, yes, but can also pull from years of experience to mentor and support your development. Why are we so opposed to seeing this same impact inside our companies. There are countless examples of where experienced professionals can counsel, coach, and support the business leaders of the future.”

  
   

• Benefitting from vast networks
  Whether it’s getting recommendations, negotiating deals, or building business partnerships, the phrase ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ rings true. Businesses benefit constantly from their employees’ networks, so hiring a 50+ professional means benefitting from their vast contact lists.
   
• Customer relatability 
  Most companies have a wide age-range of customers, and older customers often respond more positively to sales or customer service staff of a similar age, particularly those over 50. This is often attributed to a sense of familiarity, shared experiences, and understanding of values among those of a similar age group. Therefore, older workforce members are needed to secure this portion of the customer demographic.
   
• Retaining your best
  Talent Trends 2025 reveals that 38% of respondents that were changing jobs, were doing so due to an ill-fitting company culture, with much of that attributed to a lack of inclusivity. Moreover, our Talent trends report saw age discrimination occur as early as 20+, clearly showing that age discrimination occurs against younger employees (perhaps thought of as too young for certain positions) too. 
  It’s clear that if companies aren’t providing inclusive work environments, there’s a high chance that large swaths of their workforce will leave.

The age of change

Inclusivity in the workplace isn’t just a ‘nice to have.’ The fact of the matter is the workforce is getting older. 1 in 3 workers are over 50, economic factors are leading to retirement age being pushed back, people are ‘un-retiring’ and in general, we’re living longer, healthier lives. 
Companies must realise that age discrimination won’t just negatively impacting those who want to work, it’ll impacting their own profits, skills pool, culture, and competitiveness.
It's time for companies across the UK to realise what skilled professionals want from them, manoeuvre themselves accordingly and communicate on their efforts to secure top talent at any age.

Boosting your competitiveness

To learn exactly what professionals want in 2025, download your own copy of Talent Trends – Compete on Clarity now. Not only will you discover more insights about inclusivity, but you’ll see what else professionals are looking for in businesses like yours.
Looking to hire? Contact Michael Page today and let us find the right people for you.