Companies turn to professionals over 50 amid labor shortages

In a country where 26% of the population is over 50, employment opportunities for this age group are still limited.

In many companies, the participation of this group does not exceed 10% of the team, according to a study by the relocation platform Maturi and EY Brazil.

With an eye on this mismatch and the shortage of skilled labor, companies such as PepsiCo, Delloite, Credicard, Banco Neon and Kimberly Clark are developing programs to increase the age diversity of their teams.

With the increase in retirement age (62 years for women and 65 years for men) and an increasing life expectancy, people will need to stay longer in the job market.

Entitled “Why are people 50+ not considered a workforce in an aging country?”, the survey shows that 57% of workers will be over 45 by 2040.

To absorb this contingent of senior workforce, companies will have to create consistent policies to reduce barriers to entry and retention of these professionals in the market.

Today there is a growing difficulty for the mature generation to enter the job market precisely because of ageism and technological advances.

“What is said about skill in technology is partly true. Mature people use technologies, but we need to understand a little more about what these technologies are. You don’t have to become a programmer, but it’s worth researching deeper into what the metaverse is, for example,” says Deloitte’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion, José Marcos da Silva, co-author of the book Revolution 50+.

ageists

According to research by Maturi and EY, the companies themselves recognize that they are ageists. Almost 80% of them say that there is a bias against more experienced professionals.

But the president of Maturi, Mórris Litvak, says that, little by little, the situation begins to change due to necessity.

With the high turnover of professionals, some companies began to see responsibility, commitment and emotional intelligence as a differential of the 50+.

In addition, organizations are keeping an eye on consumers in the so-called silver economy, which is also on the rise.

To reach this audience, you need to understand their needs.

“That’s why it’s essential to have professionals who know how to communicate and develop products for this audience,” says Litvak, responsible for implementing projects, consulting and training related to the topic at companies such as Credicard, Banco Neon and Kimberly Clark.

The information is from the newspaper. The State of São Paulo.