The Sociable, Engaged and Resilient Older Worker
Another misconception about older workers is the characterisation of older workers as “hard to get along with” and “lacking resilience”.
As we have learnt in our articles exploring older worker misconceptions, false impressions abound which ignore the research evidence about the positive business opportunity represented by the older worker.
Let’s correct the record regarding older worker’s interpersonal effectiveness and ability to deal with the pressures of the modern workplace.
Debunking the Misconception
Academic, medical and psychological research into workplace behaviour and ageing suggests that older workers tend to demonstrate more citizenship behaviours, appear to engage in fewer counterproductive work behaviours in general and exhibit less workplace aggression:
Developmental psychologists and gerontologists argue that as people age and mature their emotional intelligence increases. The resulting behaviour changes include:
better anger and stress management
greater empathy and social awareness
ability to deal constructively with change
capability for self-renewal
Researchers have observed that older adults are more motivated to volunteer in general and are better able to regulate their moods with individuals over age 60 exhibiting much less hostility and anger than younger adults.
Research reveals older workers seek close, positive and productive relationships with co-workers. The stereotype of the older worker as less trusting of others is not consistent with existing empirical findings. Selfish behaviour is uncommon with a greater emphasis placed on wanting to help create a better world for their families and employers and a true desire to benefit society.
A positive outcome of the workplace citizenship behaviours of older workers plays out in their work motivation, engagement and emotional resilience:
Aon Hewitt and Gallup data indicate that workers who are 55 and older are more engaged and motivated than younger workers; with 65% of workers in this demographic scoring high on measures of engagement, compared to 60% of workers overall.
Wal-Mart, Disney Co., and Honeywell have recognised superior customer service skills of older workers and are increasingly placing them face-to-face with customers
A 2008 well-being study suggested a curvilinear relationship between age and well-being – with higher levels of well-being for young (around 20 years old) and older workers
Studies suggest a consistent negative correlation between burnout and age with burnout more often observed among younger employees at the beginning of their careers.
What Could Be Keeping the Misconception Alive
Two organisation factors have been identified that can contribute to the maintenance of this misconception within the workplace:
Managers: Younger managers are more likely to be critical of older workers’ interpersonal skills than older managers. Older managers are more likely to become more positive about older workers than younger managers. The biggest positive change in attitudes is witnessed among managers around the age of 50 years old when they start understanding themselves as belonging to the older worker group.
Interpersonal Contact: Managers who have less contact with older workers are more likely to be negative about older workers’ productivity compared to managers who have more contact with older workers.
How Such a Misconception Maybe Harming Your Business
Some good news is that individual managers are becoming increasingly positive about the soft skills older workers offer the workplace. Yet, there is still much to be done to overcome the misconception of older workers being hard to get along with.
Evidence-based data demonstrates that when we become older our social skills, trust in others or emotional resilience do not suddenly disappear.
Our advocacy for age-inclusive workforces recognises the significant business benefits that age-diverse work teams offer. Mercer, the world’s largest human resources consulting firm, found that older workers’ contributions are more likely to show up in group performance than in traditional individual performance metrics. The contribution of older workers materialises in the increased productivity of those around them. We certainly support the view that the more companies work to facilitate increasing contact between workers of all ages, the greater the probability of the establishment of positive age stereotypes and willingness to work with different age co-workers.
If the above questions have made you reflect on your workplace dynamics, please contact us and let us help you take practical steps to transform your existing workplace into an inclusive age-neutral one that develops your competitive and performance capability.
Selected References
Backes-Gellner, U., & Veen, S. (2013). Positive effects of ageing and age diversity in
innovative companies - large scale empirical evidence on company productivity. Human
Resources Management Journal, 23(3), 279 - 295.
Conley,C. (2018). Wisdom@work. The making of the modern elder. New York: Currency
Dordoni, P., & Argentero, P. (2015) When age stereotypes are employment barriers: A
conceptual analysis and a literature review on older workers stereotypes. Ageing Int 40,
393–412
Levy, B. (2022) Breaking the age code. Vermillion. London
Ng, T.W.H., & Feldman, D.C. (2008) The relationship of age to ten dimensions of job
performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 93, No. 2, 392– 423
Ng, T.W.H., & Feldman, D.C. (2012) Evaluating six common stereotypes about older workers
with meta-analytical data. Personnel Psychology, 65, 821–858
van Dalen, H.P., & Henkens, K. (2020) Do stereotypes about older workers change? A panel
study on changing attitudes of managers. International Journal of Manpower Vol. 41 No. 5, 2
pp. 535-550
