The management of ages in the firms Tools of analysis and action pathes for a HRM taking the ages into account Marine MARECHAL Anne-Marie DIEU Fabienne PIRONET David RANDAXHE Scientific guidance Jean-Marie DUJARDIN Annie CORNET

Project Generation Plus  Subsidized by European Social Fund  Partnership : Forem / HEC-ULg  Objectives –Maintening on the job 45+ workers through HRM policies and management of competences –Making the firms aware about management of ages –Transfering competences between generations

European context  Working population (in age of working) is becoming older –Financing retirements –Frequent use of early retirement  Weak activity rate and employment rate for the 50+/ UE objectives (55%)  Important risk of loosing labour force  Shortage in labour force and specific competences → for workers : working longer → For employers : maintaining older workers and recruiting among them

Strategy of firms and age management  Few firms have a policy in ages management -No time or priority for that -Stereotypes on 45+ workers (motivation, competences) -Organizational context ( working conditions, important changes)  HRM policies decided and implemented in a hurry  Importance of a policy in ages management –Meeting the needs of the different generations of workers –Preventing demotivation and critical moments in a worker’s career –Complementary competences between workers –Transfer of competences between generations (tutoring, fellowship, communities of practices, etc.)

Tools for analysis  Preparing the implementation of HRM policies taking age into account  Be cautious not to transfer simply « good practices »  Being aware of the socio-economic context and the organisational context  Having appropriate questions and tools  Identifying objectives  Assessment and follow up of results

Identifying and implementing action pathes  For a better involvement and motivation of the workers  To prevent demotivation and critical moments in the workers’career  To bring resources to the workers to maintain their employability inside and outside the firm (on the labour market)  To create intergenerational transfer of competences

Tool for Self Analysis  3 parts -Analysis of age categories in the organization according to the type of jobs and related to the HRM policies -Analysis of critical jobs and competences in the firm -Check-list

Age pyramids and HRM policies  Analysis of age pyramids - At firm level - At job level  Analysis of the HRM policies –Recruitment –Training –Pay policy –Mobility – departures –Etc.  Three parts for each subject : gathering data/analysis/action pathes

Critical jobs Identification of the key jobs  Important for the firm  Many 45+ workers

Critical competences  Competences profile of the selected jobs  Two criteria – presence –Importance  Critical competences –held mostly by 45+ workers –important for the job –little present in the firm (or will disappear soon) and/or rare on the labour market

Implementation of the guide  Touring : 600 workers  Britte : 60 workers  CHC : 3850 workers  Aide et Soins à Domicile – Namur (health services at home)

Touring  623 workers  Car assistance and travel assitance / Insurance  Age pyramid and HRM policies -The [35years, 45 years[ and [45 years, 55 years categories are very numerous -Lifelong learning : 3,6 days training a year per worker but lightly decreasing  Core Business - mechanics -The majority is 45+ -Difficulties of recruitment (working conditions, lack at attractivity, unsufficient training by the schools)

Action pathes for Touring  more positive image of the job and of the firm  cooperating with the schools for the preparation of the candidates (internships…)  diversity in recruitment : channels, type of people (also older workers)  mutual transfer of competences

Britte  SME – precision mechanic (metallurgy)  67 workers (47 ouvriers – 20 employees)  Production of parts for car and plane industry  difficult economic and financial situation

 ANALYSIS -Few workers, quite old (average of 45 years), not enough skilled and retrained -The job of electro-mechanic is held by only one worker who is 49 years old and has no time to transfer his competences to young workers -Dificulty of attracting new young workers because of working conditions, economic situation and pay conditions  A CTION PATHES  Training in tutorship  Training in team management  Diversity of recruitment : channels (schools, job days, internships) and type of people (also for the 35+)

CHC  6 hospitals in the area of Liège  merging process that will be achieved by 2016  A NALYSIS -ages pyramids at -global level -Job level -working place level in 2010 and in 2016  A CTION PATHES -well-balanced pyramids by job -Forecasting recruitment needs and retirement plans

Aide et Soins à Domicile -Namur  Competence profile of the household agent and health agent at home  Difficulties in recruitment  Analysis of the training needs for those jobs  Training to tutorship

For the future: in 2011 (and )  Complete inventory of practices in age management  Scientific conference on age management (december 2011)  Dissemination of the Guide particularly towards Competences Centers and HR Advisers (Forem)  New case studies (firms/individuals)  Practices/methodologies of training according to the generations