The numbers say it all. With an aging population and a tight labour market, there are not enough skilled workers in the market right now.
According to Ministry of Manpower (MOM) figures, 53.7% of Singaporeans aged 55 to 64 are currently working. This means that employers can tap into a readily available pool of mature workers to employ.
In Singapore, the Tripartite Committee on the Employability of Older Workers has lowered the definition of mature workers to include workers aged 40, so as to effectively address employability challenges early on.
Despite that, some employers harbour negative perceptions of mature workers as slow and inefficient workers due to certain physical demands of the job. These negative stereotypes only serve to limit the pool of workers that an employer can choose from, says Amy Tan, director of labour relations at MOM.
"Companies should view older workers as a valuable resource of manpower, especially in the current tight labour market. Apart from having work experience and valuable skills, employers also find older workers generally less likely to job-hop," Tan adds.
Eileen Ang, human resources manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts echoes Tan's view. She says that the hotel and service sector is evolving to realise that mature workers are likely to have a high level of good customer service.
Ang says: "If you look at Robinsons, they hire a lot of mature workers, but are still able to provide a high level of customer service."
Instead, companies that hire mature workers are redesigning jobs to suit the skills and physical needs of workers, either by the use of technology or the reassignment of tasks. One example of mechanisation is Shangri-La hotel's "Shang trolley", which is a motorised trolley that helps reduce fatigue on their staff who have to move laundry between rooms to clean.
In the end, hiring mature workers can benefit the entire company. At McDonald's, visual guides were introduced in the training and kitchen stations for easy referrals. But as Eunice Lee, senior director, HR business partner, Southeast Asia, explains, the use of visuals and pictorials have benefitted every other worker as well.
"The beauty of it all is that the use of visuals and pictorials not only benefitted the mature workers but also made life easier for everyone at the restaurant - which was a true blessing from the operations standpoint," she adds.
Mature workers can also help bring about a different sense of work ethic, HR practitioners say. From imparting a sense of discipline and having higher service standards, they are also more loyal to the company and are more hardworking.
Company: McDonald's restaurant
Positions filled: Service and kitchen crew
When it comes to providing job opportunities for the mature workforce, McDonald's has long been considered a trailblazer. Having started recruiting mature workers since the mid 1980's, 50% of its company's workforce now comprise of mature workers.
According to Eunice Lee, senior director, HR business partner of Southeast Asia, said the company first noticed that mature workers were covering the shifts of the company's part-time schooling workers who had to take time off in order to focus on their busy examination schedule.
Lee says McDonald's company policy on mature hiring is driven by an inclusive work culture and an employee value proposition which aims to give every employee an opportunity to learn and benefit from - regardless of age.
Lee credits mature workers for their significant contribution to the workforce and adds that on the employer's end, the fast-food chain aims to always be sensitive to their physical and emotional needs. For example, in order to help mature workers reintegrate back into the workforce smoothly, McDonald’s implemented a systematic and comprehensive training system which uses aids including pictures in order to communicate the training messages simply and effectively. Food stations in kitchens are also equipped with visual guides so employees could refer to them according to the company’s standard practices.
“Which means, just by referring to a series of friendly instructional guides, our crew can easily carry out the necessary steps in the kitchen, according to the desired standards,” Lee says.
Changes were made to the infrastructure of the restaurant as well, so as to enable mature workers to work more productively in the restaurant. McDonald’s introduced the use of larger visuals on their cashiering system, which meant that employees did not have to squint to look over at the register.
Furthermore, new hires are assigned a buddy to follow around for their first 30 days, with follow-up sessions conducted monthly as well. “The buddy system provides opportunities for ongoing consultation and feedback while the follow-up training helps reinforce learning and facilitate recall,” Lee adds.
McDonald’s flexible hours are also what make the company so successful in attracting mature workers to the company. “The really big draw is our flexi-hours scheme whereby our employees can better balance their personal commitments by choosing how many hours of work they would like to do,” she says.
Lee says the presence of mature workers is important as they help impart values such as punctuality, discipline and pride in their work to younger employees in the restaurant.
While McDonald’s has always been credited as an employer which provides an avenue for mature workers to find a source of income, Lee says mature workers also play a bigger role in the overall function of HR and the company. “Our mature workers, fondly called ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’, form the backbone of our business. They complement the family and supportive environment we have at McDonald’s.”
Company: IMH
Positions filled: Nurses
Because retired nurses want less commitment and responsibility at work so as to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) has launched a new Everglow Nurses’ Programme which aims to address those needs in a bid to lure retired nurses to back the hospital.
the mature staff as partners and mentors. For 62-year-old nurses planning to retire, this programme offers them an avenue to continue contributing to IMH,” says Ong.
Retired nurses under this programme also have different responsibilities as opposed to their younger counterparts, and the hospital says that “for the hours they work, they can only escort patients to other hospitals, conduct structured activities, take blood, teach in Basic Cardiac Life Support certification and auditing of wards.”
As for training, IMH says formal classroom training is kept to a minimum as they come with years of nursing experience except when they are required to keep abreast with the latest developments in nursing, renew their Basic Cardiac Life Support certification computer system as well as using tools or equipment that are new to them.
However, getting them back to work would require some adjustments. Due to failing health, some nurses lose the ability to listen to low-frequency noises and this affects their ability to take blood pressure measurements accurately. In order to combat this problem, the hospital has implemented an automated blood pressure machine that will enable nurses to monitor patients’ blood pressure electronically without the need of a stethoscope.
According to Dr Premarani K, who heads the nursing department, the vast experience and deep understanding of the patients is a great asset to the hospital in providing quality care and improving patient outcomes. “They are also helping us to mentor younger nurses, shorten their learning curve and increase their adaptation to the work environment,” he adds.
On being recently re-employed as a community psychiatric nurse, Dora Yeo says, “Coming back to work is like homecoming for me because I’ve been with IMH for more than three decades. I have grown so attached to this place, and of course I yearn to apply my skills and knowledge in psychiatric nursing, especially so after I obtained my Master Degree in Social Science (Counselling) this April."
Company: Royal Plaza on Scotts
Positions filled: Housekeeping, F&B, front office and kitchen
Keeping mature workers happy is easy as long as the company meets their basic needs, says Eileen Ang, human resources manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts (RPS).
With close to 40% of the hotel's employees aged 40 and above, Ang says by tapping into the pool of the mature workforce, the hotel is able to fill the jobs that are shunned by younger workers. Housekeeping positions are generally shunned by younger workers due to the menial tasks of cleaning guest rooms, public areas and rest rooms.
To attract the mature workforce, RPS conducts a job-sharing scheme, where a usual eight-hour workshift is divided and performed by two workers instead of one. This means a mature worker would work five four-hour days for a total of 22 hours a week - instead of the usual 48 hours. Part-time workers are also given the same medical, dental and insurance perks as the full-time staff, but given on a pro-rated scheme.
Due to the age and physical capabilities, RPS is aware that there are certain roles and tasks which are more difficult for certain employees to perform. Ang emphasizes to fewer hiring "casualties", HR must explain clearly what job scopes and tasks they would be performing during interviews, so that to candidates understand what physical capabilities would be required of them.
"In the interviews, we explain what scenarios they could face during their jobs. And if they say, ‘No, that is something that we cannot perform', then we reassign other tasks to them, such as cutting of vegetables or wrapping of biscuits," she added.
In addition to holding job fairs, like the one the hotel held in early March which attracted 400 mature applicants for 40 jobs, the hotel also practises a re-employment scheme for its former employees who wish to return to work. Ang says former employees will also be offered the same salary and benefits that they received when they were employed at the hotel.
Similar to McDonald's, RPS also pairs new recruits with a "buddy" who will assist them in their jobs for the first 30 days. The buddy, who is usually of a similar age band, will conduct daily feedback sessions for the first crucial 30 days.
Ang has full praise for the mature workforce, who is easier to manage. "Mature workers are often happy workers so long as their basic needs - such as their preferred working hours and the benefits - are met."
Amy Tan, director of labour relations for the Ministry of Manpower provides a government roadmap for companies to bring mature workers back to work.
Government roadmaps
Legislation changes: The Government has announced that it will enact re-employment legislation by 2012 to enable more people to continue working beyond the current statutory retirement age of 62, up to 65 in the first instance and, later, up to 67. This change, accompanied by increased Workfare Income Supplement for older, low-wage workers, will complement the CPF Minimum Sum Draw Down Age, which will progressively be raised from 2012.
Advantage! Scheme: This scheme offered by the Workforce Development Agency, offers a financial grant of up to $400,000 to support companies’ initiatives in implementing HR systems, changes to working environment and business processes that would directly boost the recruitment, retention and re-employment of mature workers. The funding supports initiatives such as job redesign, introduction of flexi-work arrangements, implementation of performance management systems and restructuring of wages.
Flexi-Works! Scheme: Administered by the National Trades Union Congress, employers can tap on the Flexi-Works! Fund which provides assistance of up to $100,000 to recruit unemployed persons on flexible work arrangements or in part-time jobs that have less than 30 hours a week.
Lisa Cheong
Editor
