Silver Managers: How to Engage Employees 50+ in Companies

You’ve probably encountered them in your interviews as well—people over fifty, experienced specialists. After years, often even decades, in one company or a specialized position, they are looking for new opportunities. Often surprised that they have to because they never expected to be back on the job market. And despite your best efforts to help, in most cases, it seems like it just won’t work.

We could end the story here and conclude that the world moved too fast. The growing number of people over 55 on unemployment registers is just an inevitable consequence, and companies can’t do much about it. But that would be a mistake.

Silver managers represent something different than just a few individuals who failed to keep up. And trust me, if companies don’t want to lose their competitive edge, they need to pay them as much attention as they do to Generation Z.

The Changing Workforce

Demographics don’t lie. By the end of the decade, people over 50 will make up a third of the workforce. In most industries, this means only one thing—you won’t be able to do without them. Numerous analyses correctly point out that they will be the primary carriers of know-how.

The AI revolution may lead to a situation where many younger managers develop what is known as “AI-assisted knowledge”—experience built primarily through coexistence with artificial intelligence. Without AI, they will—putting it politely—be only half as effective. And sometimes, you need to make decisions and work independently of AI, or at least be able to evaluate whether “its advice” is relevant.

This is one reason why today’s labor market is increasingly distinguishing between the digital and “analog” generations and recognizing the strengths of both. The first group, which includes millennials (today’s thirty-five-year-olds), is more flexible and independent but often struggles with understanding broader contexts or building and maintaining long-term relationships. The second generation is the opposite.

They may seem slower and less decisive, but they excel in long-term strategic thinking and are willing to take responsibility for their commitments. They can sustain projects through sheer determination and are unmatched in building lasting relationships. Two silver managers on different sides of the generational gap often create a crucial bridge on which success can be built.

Adapting Companies to Multigenerational Teams

Adapting to a multigenerational and highly inclusive team structure is not difficult. Most companies already do this naturally. Perfectly homogeneous teams are rare; in reality, workplaces often have a wide range of ages. The key is to apply this existing practice to newly created positions as well.

The biggest challenge for companies is often refining processes they already need—establishing competency-based management and standardizing operations so that they are not dictated by generational preferences but serve as a strong cultural backbone for the company.

Competency-Based Role Definitions: Team roles should be defined based on actual skills and capabilities that fit together like puzzle pieces. The value of a team member’s work should be based on this, rather than on age or “paper qualifications.” This ensures equal opportunities across generations.

Active Competency Development: Companies should provide a clear growth trajectory for various competencies, allowing less experienced employees to gradually develop into their roles. This is more than just retraining—it also helps address nuances like “cultural compatibility.” A little patience can yield significant results.

Standardized Leadership Practices: Project management should follow clear, company-wide standards rather than the personal preferences of individual managers. Many firms now operate on cycles where key personnel change every two years, which does not support long-term team cohesion.

Inclusive Culture: If a company can accommodate young employees by allowing them to work from a beach, it should apply the same flexibility to the needs of older workers—especially for more critical issues like caring for aging parents.

How to Recruit and Onboard Older Employees? The Best Insights Come from Practice

The most common reasons for rejecting a silver candidate are surprisingly similar. Either there’s a poor cultural fit in a younger, homogeneous team, or the candidate is overqualified, leading to concerns that they won’t stay in the role for long. Employers worry that a lower salary than their previous job or potentially more hands-on work might drive them away—simply put, that they have “forgotten how to work with a shovel.”

Both concerns are valid, but they shouldn’t automatically disqualify a candidate. If there is a competency match, it’s relatively easy to assess how justified these barriers are—so you don’t miss out on a potentially valuable colleague.

• Testing Team Compatibility
  To assess how well a candidate will integrate with younger colleagues, a well-designed assessment center can be helpful. If a company places a strong emphasis on personal chemistry, inviting candidates to informal team activities can also be beneficial. Sure, it might feel a bit “cringe,” but if both sides understand the purpose behind it, initial awkwardness will quickly fade.
• Addressing Overqualification
  The best way to handle concerns about overqualification is to bring them up directly. Have the candidate complete tasks that would be part of their daily responsibilities. Then, discuss what aspects interested them and which ones they found unengaging or irrelevant. If they naturally seek context, aim to improve processes, and apply their expertise, you’re on the right track.
• Clarifying Career Progression
  Be fully transparent about career growth opportunities. Many silver managers may assume that their expertise guarantees advancement once they “settle in.” It’s crucial to clarify that this isn’t always the case.
• Willingness to Learn New Skills
  Similarly, evaluate realistically which skills can be taught and which cannot. The mindset of “I’ll do whatever you ask, as long as you teach me” often comes with an unspoken caveat: “but don’t expect me to stick around if I struggle.” Be fair to both the candidate and your company. If a key skill is missing, consider offering a structured internship with clearly defined expectations—so that upskilling is a mutual investment, and the candidate values the opportunity.

Mindset of 55+ Employees

I Want to See Projects Through to Completion

“I can’t accept how many things are done just for show. I don’t want to waste time on presentations that will never be used or where it doesn’t even matter what’s in them. No offense, but I’ll gladly leave that to people who aren’t focused on real results. I want to work at a company where I can take projects to the finish line—just give me the right steering wheel. I’m not going to spend the last years of my career doing work that leads nowhere.”
— Jan, 56 years old

I’m Not Used to Wasting Productive Time

“I have no problem kicking back at work now and then—I’m definitely not a 100% workaholic. But I don’t understand why younger colleagues would rather waste productive time instead of pushing through and heading home earlier. I miss teams where deep work is the standard.”
— Pavla, 58 years old

Why Do I Have to Dig Through Slack Jokes to Find Key Task Assignments?

“Do I sometimes feel like I’m from a different era? Absolutely. Especially when I have to regularly hunt for critical inputs for a major task in Slack, where 80% of the content is jokes and GIFs. It just feels unprofessional—I can’t help it. I guess I prefer a different kind of work culture.”
— Tomas, 55 years old

I’m Not One for Excuses

“One of the biggest generational shocks for me is the culture of constant excuses. That’s something I just can’t get my head around. Why should I have to listen to someone say they couldn’t finish a task because their dog was sick over the weekend, or move a deadline because flights to Bali were cheap? I’m starting to take pride in the fact that I don’t expect others to adapt to me—I know how to adapt to them. I never thought that would become an exception rather than the rule.”
— Marta, 55 years old

Inclusion in the Workplace

Don’t be afraid of the word inclusion. In the media, it’s often tied to very specific contexts. But in recruiting and team dynamics, it simply means removing barriers as much as possible to increase the chances of things running smoothly.

In the context of silver managers, inclusion means one thing: ensuring their perspective is represented and not forcing them to work in a way that may suit much younger colleagues but isn’t essential for the business (and certainly isn’t universal).