Don’t short-change yourself on talent

Local employers must continue to leverage on the mature talent pool in order to remain competitive.

As Singaporeans now have a longer life expectancy, companies in Singapore need to provide better support to those who wish to work past retirement.

S Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said companies must also make these work opportunities visible to older workers, Channel News Asia reported.

"It's more about understanding what the opportunities are for the seniors, so making them more aware of what they can continue to do in the workforce in a manner that is consistent with their own aspirations,” he said.

Companies should also provide schemes such as up-skilling and job-redesign programmes to better attract and retain older workers.

“Training should be good, at least to instil more confidence in them, so that they know that 'we are equal, I have been in training so I think I can manage my work just as good as you, too'. The seniors do have the experience and the talent to offer,” Leong Su Yin, a senior volunteer at RSVP Singapore, a non-profit aimed at helping older people be involved in volunteerism, said.

The needs and expectations of mature workers should also be taken into consideration by companies looking to tap on this pool of resources. For example, older workers may prefer to work shorter hours, or fewer days in a week.

“What is needed is clear communication and planning way before they reach 65, perhaps two or three years before,” Christina Ng, associate director at Robert Walters Singapore, told AsiaOne.