Strategies to Manage Old Workers: HRM Practices and Policies Study

This report examines Human Resource Management strategies for managing older workers in organizations, addressing the challenges posed by an aging workforce. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining the health, motivation, and performance of older employees to ensure organizational productivity. The report discusses various approaches, including chronological, functional, psychological, organizational, and lifespan age considerations. It highlights challenges such as workplace prejudices, limited opportunities, and inadequate rehabilitation facilities. The recommended strategies include reviewing superannuation policies, promoting workplace flexibility, and providing learning opportunities. Ultimately, the report advocates for recognizing older employees as valuable assets and implementing inclusive strategies to maximize their productivity and morale. Desklib offers this and many other solved assignments for students.

Running head: STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
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1STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
Executive Summary
The aim of the respective report is to introspect, analyse and formulate certain Human
Resource Management strategies, practices and policies to manage the old workers and
employees in an organisation. As workforces are aging and getting older across the globe, it
has become a challenge for the organisations to maintain their health and well-being which
can affect the organisational performance. It is the duty and responsibility of the human
resource management teams and groups to allocate policies and strategies to maintain the
senior employees. The respective report would contribute to the better understanding of
health, motivation and performance of the older employees and various measures that can be
implemented to motivate them (with monetary as well as non-monetary incentives) to remain
in the organisation and contribute to the productivity of the organisation.

2STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
Table of Contents
Introduction.........................................................................................................................................3
Discussion.............................................................................................................................................3
Challenges faced..............................................................................................................................4
The strategies recommended..........................................................................................................5
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................6

3STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
Introduction
The increase in aging employees or workers in various organisations is a global
reality. The organisations which are active throughout the world finds it challenging to search
out policies, strategies and practices that might encourage the aged employees to remain
stimulated and productive towards the organisations and their goals. Research says that
productivity level, motives (economic, social and spiritual) and potential (both cognitive as
well as physical) of an employee changes with the process of aging which also includes
myriads of physical and cognitive disabilities, slowing down of work and productivity (Hertel
and Zacher 2015). Thus, it is the responsibility of the Human Resource Management board of
an organisation to change or rather, modify their strategies and practices according to the
need and comfort of the aged employees (Cascio 2015). Several introspections have been
conducted regarding the issue and few researchers have asked about the genuineness of
universal strategies of Human Resource management teams in case of aged employees.
Human Resource Management departments of various organisations have experienced
various challenges while considering the management, appraisal and motivation of the aged
employees. Numerous factors such as changes in educational and professional system,
introduction of various technologies and latest pension and retirement policies have been
factors in receiving numerous possibilities as well as challenges in management of aged
employees. However, through Strategic Human Resource Management, a numerous scientific
as well as sustainable strategies can be taken up for the appraisal and management of older
employees. The respective report deciphers challenges experienced and different types of
strategies than can be taken up by the Human Resource experts in managing and maintaining
older employees in an organisation.

4STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
Discussion
The aging population in workforce is increasing worldwide. Research has deciphered
five different approaches to the ages of employees (Kulik et al. 2014). They are:
Chronological age or calendar age, functional age, psychological age based on social
perceptions, organisational age determining work role of the employee, and lifespan age
which observes behavioural change in life-cycle of an employee. Employee, at his/her
various stages of life or age, tends to exhibit different behaviour and their productivity
magnitude also fluctuates often (Kooij 2015). However research also says that human
resources are valuable and non-replaceable. The uniqueness in heterogeneity of human
resources in an organisation can directly or indirectly affect the productivity of the
organisation and can place the organisation in a better position in terms of competitive
advantage (Noe et al. 2017). It is therefore, plausible to view all types of employees, despite
of age gap, gender, race and ethnicity, as an intangible asset that can be harnessed to build
goodwill and increase productivity of a particular organisation. Therefore, aged employees
might not be devalued or kept unattended. Moreover, the archaic concept of wisdom and
experience associated with old age can also be taken into consideration while formulating
strategies to manage the aged employees.
Challenges faced
 Older employees are often subjected to obnoxious prejudices from the workplace and
the society as well. They are considered less productive, slow, less susceptible to
change and less interested in latest technologies and gadgets (Stone and Stone 2013).
However, such negative sentiments should be avoided and the old employees should
be provided with adequate training on latest subjects and technologies to increase the
competency of the organisation.

5STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
 Research has found out that only a quarter of aged employees of any organisation
were given equal opportunities and flexible solutions to work-life-family balance
from the organisation (Hertel and Zacher 2015). The organisations should make a
steady effort for flexibility in work in case of aged employees.
 In terms of the dynamics of workplace economics, it has been found out that half of
aging employees who experience a decline of their physical health and productivity
are not provided with rehabilitation facilities to recover their work ability. Moreover,
monetary incentives are also not flexible in certain cases of motivation of aged
employees (Fuertes, Egdell and McQuaid 2013).
The strategies recommended
Certain strategies that the Human Resource Management department can implement to
boost the morale and motivate the aged employees are mentioned hereafter.
 Review of Superannuation policies: If the early retirement policies are reviewed and
modified, and fascination of early retirement is revisited and reduced, subsequently
the number of retired employees might decrease. An aged employee of an
organisation is the storehouse of significant knowledge, experience and wisdom. Even
though departure of aged employees from the organisation paves way for the entry of
the young employees, it is always preferred to conserve the older employees as they
are considered valuable assets for the respective organisation. Conducting retirement
seminars and comprehending the attendees about casualties that can be caused due to
financial retirement might discourage the aged employees to leave the organisation
early (Kooij et al. 2013).

6STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
 Workplace flexibility : Permitting and encouraging aged employees to shift
themselves into a better and flexible work-time arrangements is always highly
recommended when it comes to employee motivation, especially for the aged
employees. Aged employees should be given adjustable time period for their work to
ensure that their health and integrity is not compromised (Ng and Feldman 2013).
However, the organisations are recommended not to penalise the respective
employees financially, whereas aging employees should be motivated to work part-
time or given the discretion of work-from-residence so that their retirement becomes a
phased process.
 Learning opportunities: The aged employees in a particular organisation are often
susceptible to prejudices such as their less interest in learning new technologies or
less tendency to change (Tung 2016). Therefore, to break the prejudices, it is essential
for the human resource management teams to ensure that all the aged employees of an
organisation should be given proper access to training and new educational
opportunities, similar to the new and young employees. Human resource team should
ensure that the aged employees receive adequate training in new and latest courses
that might also affect their performance or improve their work performance in the
organisation. Training on latest technologies and gadgets that are introduced in the
organisation should also be given to them so that they do not feel alienated amidst the
new era of technology. Apart from that, to educate the young managers and directors
about the importance of maintaining and managing aged employees in an organisation
should be given so that they understand the importance of the aged workforce.
Conclusion
The respective report concludes by summarising the challenges and issues faced by
the organisation in maintaining, managing and appraising the old employees and various

7STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
strategies that can be implemented to keep the old employees motivated towards the
organisation. The paper discusses about various monetary as well as non-monetary incentives
and appraisal factors that can be implemented by the human resource management teams to
keep the old employees stimulated and productive towards the organisation and its goals. The
report provides exclusive as well as inclusive ideas or strategies that can be implemented by
the human resource officials to motivate and increase the morale of the aged employees and
ensure maximum productivity from them.

8STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY
References:
Cascio, W.F., 2015. Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill.
Fuertes, V., Egdell, V. and McQuaid, R., 2013. Extending working lives: age management in
SMEs. Employee Relations, 35(3), pp.272-293.
Hertel, G. and Zacher, H., 2015. Managing the aging workforce. The SAGE handbook of
industrial, work, & organizational psychology, 3, pp.1-93.
Kooij, D.T., 2015. Successful aging at work: The active role of employees. Work, Aging and
Retirement, 1(4), pp.309-319.
Kooij, D.T., Guest, D.E., Clinton, M., Knight, T., Jansen, P.G. and Dikkers, J.S., 2013. How
the impact of HR practices on employee well‐being and performance changes with age.
Human Resource Management Journal, 23(1), pp.18-35.
Kulik, C.T., Ryan, S., Harper, S. and George, G., 2014. Aging populations and management.
Ng, T.W. and Feldman, D.C., 2013. Employee age and health. Journal of Vocational
Behavior, 83(3), pp.336-345.
Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B. and Wright, P.M., 2017. Human resource
management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Stone, R.J. and Stone, R.J., 2013. Managing human resources. Wiley.
Tung, R.L., 2016. New perspectives on human resource management in a global context.
Journal of World Business, 51(1), pp.142-152.
Hertel, G. and Zacher, H., 2015. Managing the aging workforce. The SAGE handbook of
industrial, work, & organizational psychology, 3, pp.1-93.

9STRATEGIES TO MANAGE OLD WORKERS: A STUDY