Supporting the career development of older employees:: An HRD study in a Dutch company

Many organisations are confronted with an ageing workforce. Older employees are often seen as less flexible and open to HRD activities than their younger colleagues, yet rapid developments taking place within society and organisations require a flexible and responsive workforce. The necessary knowledge and skills demanded here can be taught through HRD activities. In 1995 a quantitative exploratory survey into the conditions considered important for the career development or mobility of older workers was carried out within a Dutch multinational chemical company. From a training and development viewpoint, these conditions are defined as demands made on corporate HRD policy, HRD activities and employees’ willingness to learn, as well as stimulating factors that promote the career development of older workers. Results show that while the company operated an age-awareness personnel policy, this still focused on younger employees so that participants in the career development process were insufficiently stimulated in their roles and traditional formal HRD activities had little effect on older workers’ careers. This article describes the survey, highlighting its major results, and offers recommendations

Supporting the Career Development of Older Employees: An HRD Point of View

In 1995 a quantitative exploratory survey into educational conditions promoting the careerdevelopment of older workers was carried out in a multinational chemical corporation.Educational conditions are defined as demands made on the corporate HRD-policy, HRD-activities and employees' willingness to learn, as well as stimulating factors that promote thecareer development of older workers. Although the corporation is willing to perform an age-aware personnel policy, results indicate that this still concentrates more on youngeremployees, that participants in the career development process are insufficiently stimulatingin their role and that the traditionally formal HRD-activities have little effect on the careerdevelopment of older workers. This paper describes the survey, highlights its major resultsand offers possible recommendations to improve the existing situation