Multigenerational teams have a lot to offer businesses

If your recruitment strategy is focused exclusively on hiring Millennial talent then you’re probably not alone – Millennials have attracted more than their fair share of publicity over the last few years, and a fair share of jobs.

But by not being open to a variety of generations when it comes to recruiting, you could be putting your business at risk and missing out on the benefits of having an age diverse workforce.

The generation gap

For example, some studies have shown that businesses with teams made up of different age groups enjoy higher productivity in all their workers, and that age-diversity in a team improves performance on complex decision-making tasks. So, if you’re not hiring for age-diversity, you could be missing out on the opportunity to improve your business’s performance and productivity.

Today’s workforce is made up of four distinct generations: Millennials (Age 23-38), Baby Boomers (age 55-73), Gen X (age 39-54), and Gen Z (age 7-22). To achieve an age-diverse team and reap the associated benefits, you should be looking at candidates from all of these generations when devising your recruitment strategy.

So when you’re posting your next job ad, there are some simple things you can do to ensure your ad speaks to and attracts an age-diverse audience.

Top tips for attracting talent of all ages

Try to avoid words like “digital native”, “ninja” or “guru” as these terms are often associated with the younger generation and can be off-putting to older candidates.
When describing your company’s culture and perks offered to workers, consider how different age groups may value different benefits – for example, younger generation jobseekers may be drawn to perks such as free lunches, and social gatherings, for older workers generous superannuation schemes, additional family leave and healthcare is often more important.
Show job candidates that you’re serious about building their skills, whether they’re younger or older. Recent research conducted by Indeed showed that 60%¹of job seekers claimed they didn’t apply for a job when they thought they didn’t have the specific skills or experience listed in the job description. So be sure to mention in your job ad any initiatives you have in place that support employees in developing their skills, such as skill-sharing sessions between younger and older workers.

Inclusion sells

Indeed’s research also showed that 59%² of job seekers agree that the culture of inclusivity at a company has a significant impact on their decision to accept a job or not – so companies who don’t have an age-inclusive culture could be turning great candidates off from working at their organisation.

Being serious about building an age-inclusive culture means making sure that workers of any generation feel comfortable, respected and appreciated by the company. So think about how you can tailor the benefits at your company to appeal to all generations—not just Millennials. Making sure workers of all ages can enjoy and participate in company perks and feel more connected to the company culture could even help you retain valued employees longer than the average time most Australians stay at a job.

Being open to talent of all generations is a wise business choice – from improving productivity and performance, to upskilling employees and boosting morale. But in order to attract and retain workers of all ages, it’s important for businesses to ensure their age-inclusive recruitment message is consistent with their company culture and is evident throughout the recruiting process.