Today’s employers are staring down the barrel of an endless array of challenges: the threat of global tariffs amidst a cooling economy, mass IT layoffs, uncertainty over disruptive technological advances such as AI, and the political backlash against DEI. If that weren’t enough, another threat that has been looming for years is becoming a stark reality: Nearly every nation is seeing declining birthrates that will result in a rapidly ageing workforce.

The stark reality is that sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where birth rates are rising at a pace sufficient to replace aging generations. By 2027, 49% of the global workforce will be over 50 and governments are desperate to have families grow their broods. The current U.S. president proposed a $5,000 tax break for new mothers while Hungary has promised new mothers a lifetime of paying no taxes. South Korea has spent more than 270 billion GBP on childcare subsidies, which means that new parents now receive a cash payment upon the birth of a child.

The reality of an ageing workforce is already apparent in the American workplace. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of workers aged 65 or older has grown by 117% within the past 20 years and employment of individuals 75 years or older has also increased by 117%. Meanwhile across the Atlantic, leading U.K. pharmaceutical retail chain Boots (a Walmart company) boasts six generations among its ranks, ranging in age from 16 to 80. Hard to believe that the first wave of Millennials will turn 50 within six years.

World leaders are taking note. The World Economic Forum has recognized an ageing population as a global mega trend alongside AI and climate warming.

One would think that employers would be fighting tooth and nail to attract and retain vital skills and experience that this demographic represents but this has not been the case. Andy Simpson, commercial director of 55/Redefined, the only global organization focusing on the commercial benefits of an ageing population, has shared with us their research that suggests, 33% of recruiters will typically not put forward a candidate over 50 years of age, and 37% of employers cite “health and illness” as a barrier to recruiting midlife workers while one in five cite “lack of energy.”

Furthermore, one-third of U.K. 50 to 69 year-olds have been told they were unlikely to get a job due to having — wait for it — too much experience. This could be why only 18% of over-50s have been contacted by a recruiter in the last year.

This bias, unconscious or otherwise, is often based on stereotypical myths, including the belief that older workers are set in their ways, expect a high salary for their decades of experience, and are resistant to change — 55/Redefined’s research suggests a very different story, including the insight that 83% of over-50 workers would take a pay cut to do a role they felt was more purposeful and progressive inside their existing company or with a new employer.

The mentor surplus

Hiring older, more experienced workers will have a profound impact on mentoring, even if the older workers require upskilling themselves.

“How do you get all of those generations working together effectively, particularly when you’ve got younger leaders and managers? How do they get the best out of the different generations and engage with somebody potentially in their sixties?” asks Modley. He adds that younger workers will also need help adapting to an older workforce when their experience with older people might be elderly members of their family.

“There are opportunities for every different generation in terms of mentoring. Wouldn’t it be great for somebody coming out of college to mentor somebody in their sixties and the other way around?” he adds. “I think every generations got something to learn from each other in terms of what makes them tick, how they think and reason, and how they best communicate in the office.”

“Mature workers often have skill sets that younger ones don’t and can be valuable as mentors and coaches”, says Rebecca Wettemann, CEO of HR technology market analyst of Valoir.

“They also have experience working in times of economic downturn — which can be particularly valuable given today’s economic uncertainty. Talent leaders should recognize, also, that more mature employees have organizational knowledge that also leaves when they walk out the door,”

“As we think about automation and AI, those that know existing processes that may not be documented can be invaluable in codifying those processes to enable intelligent automation, and likely also have insights on where existing processes could be improved to really leverage AI,” says Wettemann.

This integration of training and collaboration can help mitigate risk in a complex business world. And for Modley, this means taking advantage of a multigenerational workforce and getting the best out of each generation, whether it’s a large-scale project or simply day-to-day working.

“When you combine the experience of older workers with the creativity of younger ones—recognizing that creativity isn’t limited by age—each generation brings unique strengths to the table,” “If you are writing off the older workers, you’re losing all that experience, insight, and real focus of managing risk.”

“But if a firm is potentially using those skills and wrapping it all up into multi-generational working, they’re getting the best out of everybody while managing risk”, says Modley.

Simpson agrees. “If you don’t have an age strategy, you don’t have a growth strategy,” he says.

And this mentoring role can light a fire inside the bellies of mature workers, who often are seeking a sense of purpose as well as a paycheck and employee benefits.

“A lot of people enjoy working, and as we’re entering this hundred-year lifecycle, people don’t wish to stop working when they get to 55, 60, or 65 because they may have another 20 or 30 years of good, healthy living left,” says Modley. “They just want to do good work.”