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Shaping the Future of Work to Fit All Ages

At AARP event leaders discuss returnships and other paths to attract and keep talent

Greg Kahn Because people are living and working longer, today's employers should adapt to benefit from the talent that different age groups bring to the job. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. That and other ways in which the modern workforce will need to evolve was the focus of an AARP-hosted conference of influential business leaders and researchers from around the world in Washington, D.C., this week. "We are going to have to be more and more creative about how we address and come up with solutions that help us keep our very valuable employees in the workplace,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins at the “Disrupt Aging: The Future of Work for All Generations” event. “We need to make sure that policies that are being put in place — whether it's at a local community meeting or a state office or at the federal level — that these policies that are being created are ageless, that they are making sure that they're not being detrimental to either the young or the old." Jenkins said that AARP has partnered with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Economic Forum and 50 employers for a project to share resources and knowledge about the best practices for making workplaces better for all generations. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > That project, called “Living, Learning & Earning Longer,” will hold a series of workshops this summer and fall for its members, with the intent of ultimately producing an online resource for employers that will be launched at a 2021 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. "We want to make sure that this idea of working longer and living longer and earning longer is a principle that is spread not just here in the U.S., but across the world,” Jenkins said. One example of an innovative practice for recruiting and retaining talents from different age groups is the “returnship” at Morgan Stanley. Peg Sullivan, global head of talent management for the investment bank, said that the company was seeking to increase the numbers of women in its senior leadership positions. Recognizing that many women leave their careers to become family caregivers — either for their older relatives or young children — Morgan Stanley in 2014 launched the “returnship” to identify these workers and through a 12-week position. Sullivan noted that the program is open to all genders and nearly 300 people have participated in it so far. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. More on work AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS