Survey: Older Workers More Secure in Roles, Less Confident in Their Orgnaizations

In its 2011 Global Mindset Index, rogenSI reports that "workers are confused and uncertain about where their organisations are heading and rather than being innovative and forward thinking in their roles are instead playing it safe and holding on for all they’re worth as a renewed sense of uncertainty ripples across the globe." With respect to workers 50 and over, the report finds that the older a worker gets, the less confidence the worker has in his organization and where it’s going, but the more stable the worker feels in his role.

What is clear is that older workers are not lacking in confidence in their own abilities - they are, however, feeling unsure about their organisations’ prospects. It would seem as though their experience in the workforce has taught them to see the future a little more clearer than their younger colleagues — they know the warning signs of what’s to come because they have seen it all before.

rogenSI suggests that, left unattended, this can be a concern for organizations. In particular, this degree of malcontent can result in an inability to retain key staff. Thus, it is important to continue to provide feedback, support and guidance. Otherwise, costs associated with recruiting and training new staff will increase and with large numbers of new staff in critical roles, performance and outputs will undoubtedly be impacted.

Source: rogenSI "Don't Stop Believing: 2011 Global Mindset Index" (2011)