Almost 1 million people aged 50-64 have left the workforce since the pandemic. The UK currently has around half a million fewer people in the workforce aged 50+ than we would have if pre-pandemic trends had continued.

Recent research from our longevity think tank, Phoenix Insights, has highlighted that more can be done to ensure over 50s feel empowered to engage with government schemes to help them change career or get back into work. We know that many over 50s feel left behind or ‘undervalued’ in the workplace and there is scepticism about existing support offers.

At Phoenix Group we strive to be an inclusive employer, supporting social mobility and age inclusivity is just one part of this. As the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement company we also know that all too many people over 50, if unable to work, will not be able to look forward to the lifestyle they want and deserve in later life. With increasing self-reliance on pension provision, and an increasing state pension age, we believe being able to access and enjoy good work, when we want, whatever our age, is an increasing necessity.

With the world of work and specifically recruitment heavily reliant on technology and in particular algorithms, over 50s can feel defeated at the very first hurdle. We wanted to change that and so decided to try something new: a face-to-face job fair for the over 50s.

Working with Job Centre Plus and the Department for Work and Pensions, we had over 300 people join us at Standard Life House in Edinburgh for an exclusive job fair aimed at those over 50. We brought together leading  with the aim to explore and discuss jobs on offer. We also had Google run workshops throughout the day which covered skills, employability and CV writing.

What did we learn from hosting a job fair for the over 50s?

Throughout the day we met hundreds of people with lots of experience, talent and skill.

We wanted to gain further insight into candidates’ experiences of searching for a job, if they had experienced any barriers in their search, and what further tools would be helpful to support them. We wanted to understand if this style of engagement had a positive reaction and produced opportunities for candidates who attended.

One of the candidates, Ahmed, 57, was a trained car mechanic with over 15 years’ experience, before becoming a Sainsbury's delivery driver during the pandemic. Sadly he was made redundant in early 2021. He had been looking for a job since then and had been struggling to find a role that was in line with his skills and interests, and that he felt would consider him for the job.

Like many other attendees on the day Ahmed reported that he felt as though age discrimination was a big factor in his job search, with the majority of employers focusing their efforts on harnessing younger talent.

“I feel like I can’t even get to the interview stage, they see my age and automatically reject me.”

Another attendee, who had been on Universal Credit since January, had been struggling to believe that he would secure any future job prospects.

At the job fair he had good discussions with several employers and Diligenta contacted him following the event to offer him a post as a Senior Project Manager, which he was delighted to accept.

“I’d really like to thank you for all your help and support which has resulted in me gaining this role.  I met Diligenta at the ‘Finance Sector Over 50s Recruitment Event’ on 3 July at Standard Life House. I’m really looking forward to getting back to full-time work again, and I’m pleased I’ve managed to secure a role where I believe I can add value.”

What we learned is when we put the person, not the age, in front of employers, experience and capability was seen. Job Centre Plus marked it as one of their most successful events.

Creating opportunities for all ages at Phoenix Group

As part of our commitment to building a workplace that is open, fair and enables individuals to make the most of their unique talents, we then invited job fair attendees to attend a week long programme specifically designed for over 50s, held in our offices with all expenses paid. This programme aimed to boost the knowledge, skills and confidence of participants looking to return to work and secure a new role with a real future.

Afterwards, delegates were invited to apply for roles within Phoenix Group and successful applicants received a 10-week coaching programme to support them to be successful in their new role.

A new starter from this programme, Simon Taylor, said:

"This role has given me the opportunity for a new start in a different environment and industry which I thought might not be possible at my age. It proves that opportunities are there if you have the belief and confidence to try something new and different from what you previously did. It has improved my self-confidence, will ease my financial situation and given me some stability.”

We look forward to building on these successes with more events planned.