Last month, I had the pleasure of joining 55/Redefined’s Age Pioneers conference — a powerful platform where forward-thinking organisations came together to tackle one of the most overlooked aspects of inclusion: age.
I was invited to speak on the panel, “The Risks of an Absent Age Strategy”, where I shared why age inclusion is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s essential to business growth, workforce sustainability, and talent resilience.
Lyndsey Simpson, CEO of 55/Redefined, said it best:
“If you don’t have an age strategy, you don’t have a growth strategy.”
Why this matters more than ever:
- By 2030, over half of all UK adults will be over 50 – yet workers over 50 are the fastest-growing group to exit the workforce early.
- The UK has over 1 million people aged 50–64 who want to work but can’t find opportunities (ONS).
- Global birth rates are falling, skills shortages are rising, and yet too few organisations are tapping into the experience and potential of older workers.
- The world is shifting toward a 100-year life, but workplaces are still operating on outdated assumptions about retirement at 60.
What can businesses do right now?
✅ Know your numbers: Start analysing the age profile of your workforce. Where are the gaps? What are the trends?
✅ Make age a core part of your DEI strategy: Don’t let age inclusion lag behind other diversity priorities. It needs to be visible in hiring, retention, and progression plans.
✅ Engage the over-55s talent pool: Ensure recruiters and hiring managers are equipped to connect with and value older candidates.
✅ Challenge internal bias: Actively encourage leaders to consider older workers for both internal mobility and external hiring. Don’t default to early retirement assumptions.
✅ Talk about age positively: Reframe the conversation — many older workers want to work longer and contribute more. Let’s create cultures that make that possible.
✅ Invest in reskilling and upskilling: Older workers are eager to learn. And in a tight skills market, that adaptability is an underused asset.
The business case for age inclusion is undeniable — but too often, it’s still ignored. That’s a risk none of us can afford.
If you’d like to learn how AMS can help embed age inclusion into your workforce strategy, I’d love to hear from you.
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