Older employees are proving to be more productive in the workplace than younger generations, according to new research released by employee services company Clarius Recruitment.
Research of 1,000 professionals found older workers believe they are productive for 80 per cent of a working day, a factor Clarius CEO Peter Wilson believes is not being considered by many employers.
“The reality is we have an aging population and while Australian business grapples with the gender pay gap, the burgeoning challenge is changing our attitudes towards older workers,” Mr Wilson said.
“In the past hundred years the median age has risen from around 23 in 1901 to 37 in 2013. With life expectancies increasing, the pension age pushing out to 70 and the desire of people to remain working, it’s an issue we can’t ignore.”
Those in Generation X said they are productive for 60 per cent of the day, while employees in Generation Y revealed they are only productive for only 42 per cent of a working day.
Social media was highlighted as a key distraction for younger employees. Only 23 per cent of those in Generation Y said they do not get distracted by media such as Facebook and Twitter, while 69 per cent of Baby Boomers said social media was not a disturbance.
“Key attributes that employers expect from today’s candidates are being able to multi-skill and be flexible in work attitudes due to the fast pace changes in the economy,” said Mr Wilson.
“Older workers bring with them a wealth of experience in various economic conditions and are resilient to changes in the workplace. They’re the generation that had to teach themselves technology so they’re well attuned to continual learning.”
