In the war for talent, attracting and nurturing young talent is the top priority for many companies But older employees also offer great potential. In this interview, REWE Group HR Manager Michael Sigmund explains why the REWE Group wants to encourage a good mix of generations and how we are achieving this with the aid of the Work and Family Audit (audit berufundfamilie).
There are many years between middle age and retirement and these years should not be wasted, particularly given the current demographic shift. This applies equally to employers, managers and colleagues, who may associate increasing age with decreasing performance. But it also applies to baby boomers themselves. Because age does not have to be a barrier to professional development, as long as it is approached in the right way at the right time. This is why REWE Group HR Manager Michael Sigmund is an advocate for lifelong learning. In this interview, he discusses outdated clichés and having an unconditional zest for life.
Michael Sigmund, today we are discussing an issue that rarely gets discussed, namely that of older people in the workplace. And yet, it is not that older people are rare in our society, but rather that we rarely talk about them. Why do you think that is?
Michael Sigmund: Well, I think it’s completely understandable, because none of us want to think about old age, ageing and, ultimately, our own death. When we think about ageing, we mainly associate it with diminishing capability and with loss, and these are frightening things to think about. Unfortunately, we often forget that with age comes maturity, that our potential grows as the knowledge that comes with experience increases, and that we we continue to evolve and adapt, which can open up new chances and opportunities.
In addition, of course, the workplace is continuing to change rapidly. In our fast-paced, complex and volatile world, we demand that people have the latest knowledge and constantly adapt to new developments, which means that the invaluable experience and successful strategies of older employees can sometimes be overshadowed.
worked in training and further education, then in personnel development and now in the Competence Center Headquarters at REWE Group.
What do old age or getting older actually mean?
Michael Sigmund: According to Wikipedia, old age is the stage of life between mid-adulthood and death. I think that’s a good place to start; we shouldn’t view old age or getting older as a suddenly occurring, negative event that we can only react to. Instead, we should see it as an ongoing process that we can shape proactively at an early stage and in many different ways. In this respect, it is a good idea to embrace ageing and start shaping it sooner, rather than later – although this may sound strange at first.
What is the ’right way’ to age, then? What advice do you have?
Michael Sigmund: This is where I would come back to the idea of “ageing as a process”. We are wrong to attribute so many problems to age itself, because we then lose sight of just how much is actually within our control. Only ten to 30 per cent of our health and our life expectancy is determined by our genes; the rest is down to our individual lifestyle. This means that factors such as a healthy diet, enough sleep and exercise, maintaining social relationships and a healthy level of external stimuli and stress have a significant impact on how we age. I also think it’s important to have something outside of our work and commitments that we are passionate about; something that brings us joy, like a hobby. And the closer I get to the end of my career, the more I have to deal with saying goodbye and letting go of things. And, as I mentioned before, asking myself what interesting and worthwhile things I will fill my life with once I have retired.
If ageing is a process, when should we start thinking about it?
Michael Sigmund: From the age of 40 or 45; in other words, when we start the second phase of adulthood, around the time some are said to experience a mid-life crisis. By that stage, people have already overcome a lot of challenges, such as establishing a career or starting a family. However, it is also possible that we may have become stuck in our ways. This is the precise point that other issues become increasingly important, such as healthcare, personal development, finding a purpose or maintaining a relationship that may be stuck in a rut. This is therefore the right time to take a careful look at how balanced our lives are and taking steps to improve things.
As an employer, how does the REWE Group support this process?
Michael Sigmund: Much of the work we do to help employees achieve a better work-life balance also supports age diversity. An issue that applies to older employees in particular is accommodation for caring responsibilities. To ensure that employees achieve an optimum work-life balance, the REWE Group provides fast, professional help through its partner awo lifebalance GmbH to arrange qualified childcare and support for relatives with care needs. Furthermore, the option of a sabbatical is not the sole preserve of our younger colleagues. It can also be an opportunity for older employees to take a break from their everyday working lives. And when approaching retirement, job-sharing is an option that can help people make that transition.
Employees can also take up vaccinations or preventive check-ups and participate in the Fit.net course or the Gemeinsam.topfit health platform. We provide talking therapies as well as offering counselling from trained colleagues through the LoS! project, which is designed to develop self-help skills appropriate to different stages of life. As part of the recent edition of the Work and Family week of activities promoting a better work-life balance (Vereinbarkeitswoche berufundfamilie), employees can access information on a wide range of topics, such as my well-attended keynote speech entitled “Rentenfrühling”, which discussed the new lease of life people can experience when they retire.
The issue of the transition to retirement is one of the areas that will be tackled within the Work and Family programme over the next three years at the REWE Group’s Cologne sites. Why is that?
Michael Sigmund: We have an ageing society, but, at the same time, people are staying fitter for longer. As a company, we have long recognised that when it comes to commitment and participation, just like personal development and career, your age is irrelevant. This is why we are looking at what can be put in place to support employees to take an active and individual approach to shaping their final years at work and their transition to retirement. After all, the focus of the audit is on how the corporate culture practises a life-phase conscious HR policy. It also means shining a light on the position and needs of our large cohort of older employees and supporting them during their final years of work and as they transition to retirement.
What’s more, the imminent departure of the baby boomers poses a real challenge to companies. We not only need to retain and safeguard the knowledge and experience of older people, but we also need to take full advantage of their engagement and potential with an eye to the future.
Detractors love to claim that their older colleagues aren’t interested in learning anything new and prefer to steer clear of new technology. Is there any truth behind these prejudices?
Michael Sigmund: There are many prejudices and clichés around age. The brain may deteriorate physically as we age, but that does not necessarily apply to mental capacity. In fact, our minds can be astonishingly adaptable, enabling us to compensate for declining memory and processing speed through knowledge, experience and the habits we have picked up over the years. Studies also show that, other than in professions requiring strength and mobility, there is hardly any correlation between age and productivity.
Can or should an older person, let’s say over the age of 50, really still be seeking a traditional career? Or has that ship sailed by then?
Michael Sigmund: There’s no such thing as too old for a career. It is about matching existing potential to the requirements of the job. But even if someone is not striving to climb the traditional career ladder, they can look back on their working life up to that point and take stock of the skills, experience and resources they have gained. This could inspire entirely new approaches and ideas and uncover previously unidentified or untapped potential. Companies may also benefit from taking a look at their older employees’ extensive work and life experience to discover hidden strengths, potential, networks and social skills. Again, this should be a 360°approach incorporating conventional career opportunities and full exploitation of an employee’s potential. Whatever individual form it takes, I think it is important that employees realise that they have an active role to play in shaping their working lives. This will be key to avoiding stagnation and a loss of energy or motivation.
We will all have to work for longer. By the age of 50, an employee may still have 17 years ahead of them. That’s too long to work without being motivated. What would you say to older employees to help them enjoy a fulfilled working life?
Michael Sigmund: This message goes out to all employees, including the under-50s and those at the start of their career too. Given the length of our working lives, in particular, the demands of the world of work, and the political and social challenges and crises that we are all facing, it is vital to have staying power and a long-term strategy. But it is also true that we need to be kinder to ourselves once we pass the age of 40 or 50, because the setbacks start coming thick and fast and we are more vulnerable to them. And that’s why we should all give ourselves time. Time to look after our health, to become more resilient, to use our energy wisely, to experience the joy of life, and to feel connected to others.
As REWE Group, we focus on a family and life-phase-conscious employee policy. REWE Group’s central locations in Cologne were recently awarded the “audit berufundfamilie” certificate for the fourth time in a row. It promises that further measures will be implemented over the next three years to reconcile work, family and private life. In addition to job-sharing tandem management, these include encouraging more men to work part-time and focusing on older employees.
In addition to the central locations in Cologne, almost all REWE Group divisions are certified in accordance with the audit. PENNY, for example, is the first and so far only discounter to be certified. REWE is the largest berufundfamilie-certified employer in Germany. The berufundfamilie audit certificate, a renowned seal of quality for the sustainable organization of the company’s work-life balance policy, is awarded every three years.
