Benefits and Challenges of Recruiting Older Workers in HRM

This report discusses the benefits and challenges of recruiting older workers in HRM. It examines case studies of Marks & Spencer and McDonald's to understand their policies. It also provides recommendations for organizations to ensure a ready supply of labor in the future.

Human Resource
Management
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Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
Develop a robust business case why companies should adopt strategies to recruiting older
workers, ensuring that you critically discuss both the benefits and challenges associated with
having an older workforce...........................................................................................................2
Make recommendations as to the kinds of action organizations must consider in ensuring they
have a ready supply of labour in the future.................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
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INTRODUCTION
HRM is the chain of activities related with the recruiting, hiring and managing the
organisational employees. The organisational HR department responsible for the building and
putting into the effect the overseeing policies for governing workers. This report is based on the
employing older workers for an effective multi generational personnel force. To elaborate
respective subject matter two cases on Marks & Spencer and MacDonald should be studied to
examine policies of other organisations. This report it based on the strategies and tactics to
selecting older employees by critically examine their advantages and disadvantage. At last it
includes the recommendation on the whole subject matter to reach at valid conclusion.
Develop a robust business case why companies should adopt strategies to recruiting older
workers, ensuring that you critically discuss both the benefits and challenges associated
with having an older workforce.
HRM department found that population of employees are ageing and employers are not
doing much efforts to retain and recruit the older workforce (Cascio, 2015). The another major
issue that organisations not paid much attention towards to build or prepare for potential skills
gaps at the time when older employees retire. But the older employees are very much important
for an organisation and various organisations provide training and development to them to cope
up with the changes. As they are crucial part and gradually no. of older employees increases
due to the following attributes :
Diversity –
Workplace diversity which focused on gender, race and sexual orientation, the big driver
of ageism is the biased towards digital natives (Collings, Wood and Szamosi, 2018). As
younger people always focus on the using the technology on other hand previous generation did
not access to it. As organisations recruit people of different race, gender and diversified in skills
that create workforce diversity at workplace.
Utilize expertise/knowledge:
Older employees give their services from very long time so they have strong
understanding of the subject matter that proved beneficial for organisation in crucial decision
making in order to remain competitive in the marketplace. Due the expertise and knowledge an
organisation gain from their older employees enhance the rate of respective employees within
the organisation.
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Ageing population:
Ageing population is one of most important assets for an organisation as they possess
some rare qualities such as they are dedicated, punctual and honest with focused, good listeners
with lots of skills and abilities that create distinctive effect from young employees.
Legality/stop discrimination:
Age discrimination which involves treating or behaving an employee in less favourable
manner because of his or her age (McClean and Collins, 2019). The age discrimination act
forbids against age people who are forty and older. Respective law not protect the employees
under the age of 40 although some countries protect the younger workers from age. Respective
laws helps to employees in giving one of their best efforts in organisational development as it
creates sense of belongingness towards them.
So it has been very much important for an organisation to work in the interest of older
employees as they are very much important for them (Jabbour and et. al., 2013). As mentioned
above there are various causes that enhances the no. of older employees within the organization.
For an example to elaborate respective subject matter, two case studies should be discussed over
here to gather through understanding:
The main motive behind to study respective case studies is to reveal out the importance
of the old age employees within the firm and important policies to give every kind of amenities
so that they can give one of their best efforts for their organisation (Albrecht and et. al., 2015).
Respective case study based on the M&S which very much concern for their employees and
builds various policies to take care of their every potential needs and wants within the
organisation.
Case study of M&S:
The first case study related to the Marks and Spencer in which 33% employees are over
the age of 50 and oldest employee was recruited at the age of 80. It is one of the most well
known for its fairness and respect towards employees (Employer case studies, 2019.). They pay
attention on every class of employees who work with them such as they recently released phased
retirement and pensions in which they extended the default age of retirement which was
previously 65 to support and provide opportunities to employees in giving one of their best
efforts. That denotes that individuals who are the part of respective pension scheme start availing
the pension from age of 55 whilst continuing to the work for company. Respective kind of
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scheme helps them to give one of their best efforts in positive manner as their future is very
much secure. Reports shows that M&S have the large no. of people who working with them for
the long time as their one of most precious assets. So it is very much important for an
organisation to take care of every need of their employees without any kind of discrimination
such as age, race and sex (Shen and Zhang, 2019.). To encourage the older employees as well
as young employees they provide effectiveness of training and development in order to develop
their skills and capabilities to remain always competitive in the business environment by giving
one of their best potentials.
The another case study which focus on the importance of old age employees and how they help
to create distinctive effect within the organisation in order to remain competitive in the business
environment.
Case study of McDonald's:
The another case study which based on McDonalds which has large chain of restaurants
in across the whole UK with more than 85,000 employees in which 1000 employees are over th
age of 60. They focus on the flexible kind of work life balance with wide range of flexible work
initiatives to fulfil their personal commitments. They majorly focus on recruitment in their
restaurants majorly the older workforce on basis of their qualities rather than their qualification.
As described in case study they provide platform to older employees to fulfil their passion with
also in older age. By taking care of employees needs and wants they revealed that employees are
very much satisfied with the organisation as they always focus on career development of them
(Employer case studies, 2019.).. In respective organisation they without any kind of
discrimination provides the job opportunity to people who passionate and enthusiastic towards
their work which also helps to create distinctive effect as consumer admire working of old age
employees. So it is very much important for an organisation to gain sustainability and
profitability take care each and every need of their employees.
From the through study of employees in respective organisation it has been revealed that
they create right kind of mix up of youth and experience in the workforce. From the research
which examined the attributes about performance of more than 400 restaurant of McDonald's
restaurants across the UK marketplace that people who are above the age of 60 give significant
boost to the business in order to achieve potential outcomes.
Benefits and challenges associated with older workforce within the organisation:
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There are some kinds of benefits and challenges that are as follows:
Advantages:
They have good leader ship skills:
Older workers have the good leadership skills because they have strong communication
skills by which they lead and instruct to others to follow the rules and regulations with
instructions which is very much important for an organisation to obtain potential outcomes .
(Iqbal, 2019). In olden times when the communication not dominated by the email, instant
messaging and social media so at that time people messaging plays very important role to share
the common goals and objectives to remain competitive in the marketplace.
They know what they want:
Older employees have been working for the entire life for an organisation by using their
skills and capabilities in order to attain opportunities (Sparrow sand Makram, 2015.). They are
not searching for the next opportunity like younger workers as organisations invest countless
man hours and finance to select and retain one of best employees within the organization but on
other hand older employees more interested towards the stability in their life in against moving
up the corporate ladder as quickly as possible.
They are very loyal and good work ethic:
Since older workers are more satisfied with their jobs in comparison to the youngsters in
the corporate world (Shaw, Park and Kim, 2013). They work with full efficiency and give one
of their best efforts for achieving organisational goals and objectives in proper manner. they are
loyal for their work and work with full ethics. Ethical activities are very much important for an
organisation as it create loyalty and faith in front of consumers.
Disadvantages:
Resistance to adopting the new work culture:
Culture is very much important for an organisation, youngsters are very much
enthusiastic to adopt changes on other hand old aged employees not ready to changes. In an
organisation changes are very much important to remain always competitive and sustainability to
gain potential outcomes
. When they resist to accept changes it is the responsibility of management to give proper
knowledge and information with technical assistance so that they can give one of their best
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efforts (Lee And et.al ., 2019.). So it is very much necessary for an organisation to give proper
information to older employees about importance of changes so that they can happily accept it.
Attached to a particular style and no social mingling:
Older employees are majorly anchored in a particular style of work predicted on which
nothing more than worker in lieu of their younger comrades (Al Ariss, Cascio and Paauwe,
2014). The simply they have to losses up their style of working and come up in new form to give
one of their best efforts. They have to join some social meeting so that they can easily mingle
with youngsters in giving one of their best efforts in achieving organisational goals and
objectives. So there are need to go socialize and out drink with butts in order to achieve
organisational gain and potentials.
Applying principles:
To give one of best value to employees it is very much necessary to understand their
needs and wants in order to Maslow’s need hierarchy are as follows:
Physiological needs:
Respective kinds of needs in which includes the air, food, safety and clothing. it is very
much potential for an organisation to evaluate the basis needs of employees so that it provides
them contentment and enthusiasm to give one of their best efforts.
Safety needs:
In safety needs consist of security, order, law, stability and freedom with fear in order to
remain competitive and satisfy the needs of employees (Chadwick, Super and Kwon, 2015).
For an organisation it is very much important to provides safety to older ages employees so that
they can work with their full enthusiasm in order to remain always competitive in the market
place.
Love and belongingness needs:
For older age employees love and respect matters a lot, the social and involves the feeling
of belongingness which helps to an employees to create a bond with their colleagues.
Esteem needs:
Respective needs includes the desire for reputation, achievement and mastery that are
very much potential for the older age employees as they search out respective need in order to
helps in giving one of their best efforts.
Self actualization needs:
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It related with the realizing the potentiality of an individual, self fulfilment needs and peak
experiences that are very much essential for an older age employees that organisation as well as
other employees understand their worth (Aqqad and et.al ., 2019) . So that they can give one of
their best attributes towards organisations goals and objectives So from the above discussion it
has been summarised that it is very much potential to access the needs and wants of employees at
every stage of their life and career so that they can gain containment towards their work and
work life.
Make recommendations as to the kinds of action organizations must consider in ensuring they
have a ready supply of labour in the future.
For an organisation it is very much potential to have the capable staff members as it is one
of most precious assets for them to gain sustainability. (Amberg and McGaughey, 2019).
Further they have to provide training to ensure they have potential workforce. In order to
organisation have to evaluate their future projects and required skills accordingly to have ready
supply of labour in future. Organisations also have to evaluate the competitors strategies in
regards to select employees in future so that supply of labour force should be coordinated.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals:
Al Ariss, A., Cascio, W.F. and Paauwe, J., 2014. Talent management: Current theories and future
research directions. Journal of World Business. 49(2). pp.173-179.
Albrecht, S. L. and et. al., 2015. Employee engagement, human resource management practices
and competitive advantage: An integrated approach. Journal of Organizational
Effectiveness: People and Performance. 2(1). pp.7-35.
Amberg, J.J. and McGaughey, S.L., 2019. Strategic human resource management and inertia in
the corporate entrepreneurship of a multinational enterprise. The International Journal
of Human Resource Management. 30(5). pp.759-793.
Aqqad, N. and et.al ., 2019. The relationship among emotional intelligence, conflict management
styles, and job performance in Jordanian banks. International Journal of Human
Resources Development and Management. 19(3). pp.225-265.
Bettis, R. and et. al., 2014. Quantitative empirical analysis in strategic management. Strategic
Management Journal. 35(7). pp.949-953.
Cascio, W. F., 2015. Costing human resources. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management, pp.1-1.
Chadwick, C., Super, J.F. and Kwon, K., 2015. Resource orchestration in practice: CEO
emphasis on SHRM, commitment‐based HR systems, and firm performance. Strategic
Management Journal. 36(3). pp.360-376.
Dries, N., 2013. The psychology of talent management: A review and research agenda. Human
Resource Management Review. 23(4). pp.272-285.
Iqbal, A., 2019. The strategic human resource management approaches and organisational
performance: The mediating role of creative climate. Journal of Advances in
Management Research. 16(2). pp.181-193.
Jabbour, C. J. C. and et. al., 2013. Environmental management and operational performance in
automotive companies in Brazil: the role of human resource management and lean
manufacturing. Journal of Cleaner Production. 47. pp.129-140.
Lee, H.W. And et.al ., 2019. Effects of human resource management systems on employee
proactivity and group innovation. Journal of Management. 45(2). pp.819-846.
McClean, E. and Collins, C.J., 2019. Expanding the concept of fit in strategic human resource
management: An examination of the relationship between human resource practices and
charismatic leadership on organizational outcomes. Human Resource Management.
58(2). pp.187-202.
Shaw, J. D., Park, T. Y. and Kim, E., 2013. A resource‐based perspective on human capital
losses, HRM investments, and organizational performance. Strategic management
journal. 34(5). pp.572-589.
Shen, J. and Zhang, H., 2019. Socially responsible human resource management and employee
support for external CSR: roles of organizational CSR climate and perceived CSR
directed toward employees. Journal of Business Ethics. 156(3). pp.875-888.
Sparrow, P.R. and Makram, H., 2015. What is the value of talent management? Building value-
driven processes within a talent management architecture. Human resource
management review. 25(3). pp.249-263.
Strohmeier, S., 2013. Employee relationship management—Realizing competitive advantage
through information technology?. Human Resource Management Review. 23(1).pp.93-
104.
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Online:
Employer case studies, 2019. [Online]. Available through.
<http://202.129.210.58/projectfiles/internal_cust_document/employingolderworkerscas
estudies1123640_redacted_1572337549.pdf>.
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