Generations at Work: Why Age Inclusion is Your Next Competitive Advantage
Today’s workforce is more age-diverse than ever before. For the first time in modern history, five generations are working side by side. With people living and working longer thanks to rising life expectancy and improved health outcomes, older employees are staying in the workforce well into later life. At the same time, younger generations are entering with fresh perspectives, new priorities, and different ambitions.
This convergence is striking on a global scale. By 2031, a quarter of all workers in G7 countries will be over 55, while Gen Z will make up an increasingly large proportion of new entrants.
This unprecedented generational mix brings both rich opportunities and new complexities. When embraced, age diversity can supercharge innovation, resilience, and performance. But if left unmanaged, it can result in misunderstandings, disengagement, and untapped potential.
Rethinking Careers: A Generational Shift in Expectations
Younger generations – particularly Gen Z – are challenging traditional views of work. For them, long hours and hierarchical job titles matter less than autonomy, wellbeing, and purpose. Many are turning away from the idea of a “job for life”, instead favouring portfolio careers that combine freelance work, side projects, and part-time roles. They want flexibility, the freedom to evolve, and work that feels meaningful.
To keep up, organisations need to think differently about career pathways. Linear progression models and rigid development plans often don’t resonate – and in today’s agile environment, they may not even make sense.
Older generations are also rethinking how they work. Many are opting for consultancy, part-time roles, or phased retirement – ways to remain engaged without the pressures of full-time work. For organisations, this is an opportunity to retain valuable institutional knowledge and leadership insight, provided they offer the right flexibility.
Real-world example: A national employer recently revitalised its talent pipeline by recruiting over-50s into customer service and call centre roles, positioning them as flexible, low-pressure jobs with strong peer support. These roles appealed to people re-entering the workforce or seeking stability post-career shift – and brought with them maturity, reliability, and patience. The result: lower attrition and an enriched team dynamic.
Why Intergenerational Teams Perform Better
An age-diverse workforce offers more than a wider skills base – it creates stronger, more adaptable organisations. The benefits include:
- Knowledge continuity: Long-standing employees offer invaluable experience and institutional memory, boosting succession planning and reducing skills loss.
- Innovation through contrast: Diverse thinking styles – blending historical insight with digital fluency – improve creativity and problem-solving.
- Customer relevance: A workforce that mirrors the age range of its customer base, particularly in sectors like health, retail, finance, and public services, is better equipped to meet real-world needs.
- Reverse mentoring: Mutual learning goes both ways – Gen Z colleagues support older peers with tech adoption, while senior staff mentor in leadership, decision-making, and resilience.
- Team resilience: Age diversity often means greater diversity of life experience, which builds emotional intelligence, empathy, and capacity to manage change.
Navigating the Challenges
Despite the upsides, working across generations can introduce friction if not carefully managed:
- Clashing definitions of loyalty: Older employees may equate loyalty with tenure; younger colleagues often see it as delivering impact, then moving on. Without mutual understanding, this can create mistrust.
- Work-life boundaries: Younger workers tend to prioritise wellbeing and advocate for clearer boundaries, while older peers may value visibility and physical presence. Differing expectations can breed frustration if left unspoken.
- Digital comfort gaps: While digital confidence is growing across all age groups, comfort levels still vary. Misassumptions – on either side – can cause friction.
- Different working speeds: Younger teams might lean into rapid experimentation; older colleagues may favour caution and process. Left unbalanced, this can stall delivery or lead to tension.
- Unconscious bias in progression: Without intention, leaders may favour those who reflect their own age, values, or style – limiting opportunity and inclusion for others.
- Age discrimination: A 2023 People Management report found that 37% of respondents in their 50s and 60s had experienced age discrimination at work – often tied to assumptions about learning agility or readiness to adapt. Age bias remains an overlooked inclusion barrier.
Building Age-Inclusive Workplaces
While 70% of senior UK leaders agree that generational diversity is an asset, only 18% have dedicated EDI policies that address age inclusion. Closing that gap requires action in four core areas:
- Data – Track age trends across recruitment, progression, and leavers. Surface where biases may be playing out.
- Policy – Embed age inclusion in flexible working schemes, phased retirement options, and returnships.
- Culture – Invest in cross-generational understanding through inclusive leadership, training, and peer learning initiatives
- Talent – Be creative. Consider the impact on your current career pathways and frameworks on different generations. What are you missing?
Age, Disability and Identity: An Intersectional View
Age is just one piece of the puzzle. Gen Z is also the most ethnically diverse generation in UK history. As they enter the workforce, organisations must recognise the interplay between age, race, disability, class, culture, and background.
In fact, 83% of Gen Z candidates consider a company’s commitment to EDI a key factor when choosing where to work. For them, diversity isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it’s essential. Any approach to intergenerational inclusion that fails to reflect other lived experiences will fall short.
What Leading Employers Are Doing
- Centrica: Introduced phased retirement pathways that allow older employees to reduce hours gradually while mentoring others.
- Barclays: Launched the “Bolder Apprenticeship” scheme for over-50s entering new careers.
- Aviva: Offers returnships for those rejoining the workforce after extended breaks, including carers and early retirees.
A Call to Action
Generational diversity is more than a demographic shift – it’s a strategic imperative. To thrive in a fast-changing world, organisations must harness the full range of experiences, mindsets, and motivations across every age group.
That means designing workplaces where everyone – regardless of age – feels heard, valued, and empowered to contribute on their own terms.
If you’re ready to unlock the value of age diversity but aren’t sure where to start, Included can help. From learning interventions and inclusive workforce strategies to designing roles for Gen Z or flexible paths for older workers, we partner with you to build real impact.
