2009 AARP International Innovative Employer Awards

By: AARP.org | Source: AARP.org | September 2009

Now entering its second year, the AARP International Innovative Employer Award recognizes non-U.S.-based employers whose innovative workforce and/or human resource practices address issues of concern to 50+ workers and create roadmaps for the workplaces of tomorrow.
 
As the proportion of workers age 25 to 44 declines, attracting and retaining mature, experienced employees is becoming increasingly important for employers seeking to retain their competitive edge in today’s marketplace. By recognizing employers around the world that have demonstrated innovative ways to address issues relevant to older workers, AARP encourages all employers to create mutually beneficial work environments in which the potential of younger employees and the capabilities of mature workers are both valued.
 
2009 Winners
    
Adecco Employment Services Limited (Canada)
Winning Year: 2009
Industry: Service Sector
Location: Toronto, Canada
URL: www.adecco.ca
Employees: 436; Percentage over 50: 13 percent    

Adecco’s national hiring strategy actively targets age-50+ job seekers through its “Established Worker Career-Connections Program” and collaboration with the Canadian Association for Retired Persons (CARP). To ensure that the hiring process is free from age discrimination, paper applications are available for candidates who do not feel comfortable with computers. Job candidates who are re-entering the workforce are educated and trained on standard interviewing practices and techniques for marketing their transferable skills.

BMW Group
Winning Year: 2009
Industry: Motor Vehicles Production
Location: Munich, Germany
URL: www.bmwgroup.com
Employees: 71,596; Percentage over 50: 20 percent

With “Today for Tomorrow,” BMW Group has implemented a comprehensive package of measures addressing demographic change in the workplace. The program includes innovative initiatives in the areas of health management, training and knowledge management, work environment, personalized retirement models, and others. When staffing a new production plant a few years ago, BMW Group specifically targeted unemployed older job seekers to ensure a well-balanced age structure and as a measure to support the regional labor market.

BT
Winning Years: 2008, 2009
Industry: Telecommunications
Location: London, United Kingdom
URL: www.bt.com
Employees: 103,524; Percentage over 50: 30 percent

BT offers a wide variety of flexible-work arrangements through its “Achieving the Balance” portfolio. These plans help older employees make the transition from full-time employment to retirement. The “Career-Life Planning Tool,” another innovative BT program, helps employees develop their careers at every stage and accounts for changes that may emerge during employment.

Centrica plc
Winning Years: 2008, 2009
Industry: Utilities
Location: Windsor, United Kingdom
URL: www.centrica.com
Employees: 27,338; Percentage over 50: 14 percent

Centrica’s efforts to create an age-diverse workforce include its “Age Action Group,” which convenes managers from different business units to create a detailed plan addressing the company’s aging workforce. Centrica also has an “Age Awareness” e-learning package for managers and employees to raise awareness about age-diversity issues. The company supports work-life balance through comprehensive, flexible work policies and a caregivers’ network.

Domestic & General Services Limited
Winning Years: 2008, 2009
Industry: Insurance
Location: Nottingham, United Kingdom
URL: www.domgen.com
Employees: 747; Percentage over 50: 9 percent

Domestic & General Services Limited has implemented a number of recruitment strategies to attract and retain older workers for their experience, loyalty, and reliability. Materials for recruitment and assessment are tailored to resonate with different generations. The company uses telephone interviews during the first stage of the hiring process to avoid age bias. Employees at Domestic & General Services Limited are also encouraged to become “Age Positive Ambassadors,” and some represent the company at recruitment fairs.

Housing & Development Board
Winning Year: 2009
Industry: Public Sector
Location: Singapore
URL: www.hdb.gov.sg
Employees: 4,949; Percentage over 50: 34 percent

The Housing and Development Board’s mature staff benefits from flexible-work arrangements and a re-employment policy allowing workers to continue past the statutory retirement age of 62. HDB’s health and wellness promotion program also offers an “Annual Targeted Health Intervention Program” designed to help mature staff take preventative care in managing their health.

National Healthcare Group
Winning Year: 2009
Industry: Hospitals / Health Care
Location: Singapore
URL: www.nhg.com.sg
Employees: 9,819; Percentage over 50: 16 percent

NHG’s mature workers attend pre-retirement planning and counseling at least three years before they reach the statutory retirement age of 62. When they reach age 62, older employees generally receive offers of re-employment that include a variety of alternative-work arrangements and benefits. In some NHG institutions, 90 percent of workers continue employment beyond retirement age. NHG specifically targets mature job seekers to fight the acute shortage of health-care workers in Singapore.

Royal Plaza on Scotts
Winning Year: 2009
Industry: Hotels/Lodging
Location: Singapore
URL: www.royalplaza.com.sg  
Employees: 393; Percentage over 50: 25 percent

Royal Plaza on Scotts’ re-employment policy allows retirees to retrain so they can be hired back to their last-held positions with the same remuneration and benefits package. The company’s diversity efforts include hiring initiatives targeted at older workers who have been out of the labor market for a while. Managers receive training on the supervising and directing a multi-generational workforce. A buddy system that matches up younger workers with older ones allows for a two-way exchange of knowledge.

Sick AG
Winning Years: 2008, 2009
Industry: Industrial Equipment / Commercial Machinery
Location: Waldkirch, Germany
URL: www.sick.de  
Employees: 1,879; Percentage over 50: 17 percent

Mature workers at SICK AG serve as mentors for younger employees through mixed-age training groups and project teams. Moreover, the company maintains strong ties with retired employees by inviting them to company functions. SICK AG puts significant emphasis on employee health via a project addressing how healthy aging can be achieved in the workplace and through comprehensive flexible-work options.

Sozial-Holding der Stadt Mönchengladbach GmbH
Winning Years: 2009
Industry: Hospitals / Health Care
Location: Mönchengladbach, Germany
URL: www.sozial-holding.de
Employees: 740; Employees over 50: 35 percent

With 35 percent of its staff falling into the 50+ age group, Sozial-Holding operates under the motto, “We are older, so what?” Sozial-Holding’s annual working-time accounts and individual working-time models are of particular benefit to older workers with caregiving needs. The company also offers a variety of courses specifically aimed at helping its older workers, including holistic mnemonic training and preparation for the transition to retirement.

Selection Process

AARP invited several international organizations with expertise on age and employment issues to collaborate on designing and promoting the 2009 Awards. The organizations consulting AARP include the following:

• 50&Piú (Italy)
• BAGSO (Germany)
• CARP (Canada)
• Council for Third Age (Singapore)
• DaneAge (Denmark)
• DDN–The Demography Network (Germany)
• The Gerontology Institute at Dortmund University (Germany)
• TAEN–The Age and Employment Network (United Kingdom)