Awards on offer for Australia’s top 20 age positive employers

Companies with effective age management strategies will be recognised in a new award, rating the top age positive employers in the country. Launched recently by over 40s job board www.adage.com.au the Adage Top 20 to be announced in April 2007 will be the definitive list of organisations making a difference in age management.

Nominations are now open and voting has begun to find organisations where mature employees are highly prized, recruitment practices are age neutral and age diversity is actively encouraged.

Adage partner Catriona Byrne said the Adage Top 20 will become Australia’s definitive list of organisations that are changing the face of employment in Australia.

Organisations can no longer afford to ignore the impact of the ageing of the workforce. Recently we have witnessed a significant shift in thinking as many progressive organisations have begun addressing the issues of the ageing of the workforce in creative and innovative ways.

Retention and attraction of mature staff is a priority notot only for organisations, but more importantly for Australia’s long term economic future. The Adage Top 20 is a way to shine the spotlight on the topic and recognise those who are contributing to tackling this national issue, she said.

To identify the Adage Top 20, Australians are invited to nominate any organisation they see effectively managing the risks, challenges and opportunities of an ageing workforce. Ms Byrne said the types of strategies that the judges would be looking for indicating age management excellence include:

- Actively promoting vacant positions to mature job seekers (40 )
- Encouraging flexible work practices
- Providing phases retirement opportunities
- Giving training opportunities to mature workers
- Implementing knowledge transfer or mentoring programs
- Providing retirement coaching for employees, and more.

Organisations that are eligible for the Adage Top 20 are corporates, small / medium enterprises and recruitment companies. Adage will produce a list of nominated organisations in March 2007 and then an expert panel will rank the organisations.

Speaking at the launch of the Adage Top 20 John Catlin, CEO of TACTICS Consulting, an organisation committed to achieving age management excellence, had advice for organisations looking to incorporate positive age management practices, identifying flexibility as a key to attracting and retaining the best mature talent.

We recognised how much we benefit from the experience and skills of mature people in our company. The flexibility that mature employees can offer is incredible and we wanted to harness that. We have been using www.adage.com.au as a way to find the people we need in a cost effective way that would also help us as an organisation advertise effectively and directly to target mature employees.

Adage.com.au is the only job board in Australia to be granted exemption under the Anti-Discrimination Act to allow the advertisement of positions targeting mature age jobjob seekers only, and to screen registrations based on age.

Nominations can be made online at www.adage.com.au until next March. The Adage Top 20 list of organisations will be announced in a ceremony in April 2007.