Workers over 45 represent a major segment of the population here in the UAE (+775k), and whilst the benefits of diversity in the workplace in terms of race or gender has been widely considered, it’s just as important to examine the benefits of an age diverse team.
It’s well worth noting it has been found that age-diverse companies see improved team performance and increased productivity.
This is because mixed-age groups involved in complex decision-making tasks display better cognitive diversity, which in turn aids better decision-making and problem solving, as well fostering creativity and innovation.
If you combine that with skills and knowledge sharing, then you’ll start seeing the benefits of an optimized team.
Combining the talent of your age-diverse workforce strengthens your business as whole because the intellectual knowledge and business experience over a longer career period will help younger team members develop strong interpersonal skills.
Meanwhile, because of their age, younger team members will naturally have a tighter grasp on new and emerging technologies, and this will pay dividends in keeping people companywide up-skilled, while supporting your business - particularly if it is currently going through digital transformation.
Take it from us, the UAE is a highly competitive market and employee turnover can often be high. So, if you want to reduce employee churn, which is damaging to team morale and costly, an age diverse team can help reduce this threat.
According to recent studies, age diversity improves employee turnover as it is natural to older team members to display greater loyalty. In turn, this stability and consistency increases motivation across all staff, driving up the intent to stay with an organization companywide.
The benefits are often rooted in creating a positive working environment, where people feel valued by the peers. You’ll notice that the older member of your team will thrive when given the chance to share their knowledge and wisdom. Conversely, they then benefit from the emotional and physical energy picked up from their younger counterparts.
Meanwhile, the priceless mentorship and social capital gained through connections made over time will help shape and rapidly advance your younger team quickly.
Whether it’s higher productivity and performance, maintaining employee engagement and motivation, or knowledge and skills sharing, ultimately by embracing an age-diverse team you are creating an atmosphere of inclusivity, acceptance, and mutual respect.
All great business drivers and in any case, who doesn’t want to do business with a company that holds team diversity values in high regard.?
