Understanding the Workforce Pressures Shaping Organisational Resilience
- Mike Mansfield
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Many organisations sense that workforce pressures are increasing — recruitment is harder, retention feels more fragile, and critical skills are taking longer to replace. What is less well understood is why these pressures are becoming more persistent, and why traditional workforce planning approaches are no longer sufficient.
The issue is not change itself, but how well organisations are prepared for it. Increasingly, workforce resilience — the ability to sustain capability, productivity and performance over time — is shaped by structural shifts in who is working, how long they are working, and what they need to stay engaged.
Workforce Resilience Is Already Being Tested
Across the UK labour market, patterns that once sat at the margins are now mainstream.
Workers aged 50 and over now make up around one third (33%) of the UK workforce, with 10.9 million people aged 50+ in employment — the highest level on record (Rest Less, 2024; DWP).
The average age of exit from the labour market is the highest ever recorded, reaching 65.7 for men and 64.5 for women in 2024 (Department for Work and Pensions, 2024).
At the same time, around 750,000 people aged 50–64 are either looking for work or want to work but are economically inactive, representing a significant untapped talent pool (DWP, 2024).
For employers, these are not abstract demographic trends. They show up as skills shortages, succession risks, increased absence, and pressure on recruitment pipelines.
Where the Real Risks Sit for Employers
Workforce resilience is rarely undermined by a single factor. Instead, risk builds quietly across several interconnected areas.
1. Capability and Knowledge Risk
Longer working lives mean experience stays in organisations for longer — but only if it is actively supported. Evidence consistently shows that older workers bring strong judgement, communication and problem-solving skills (CIPD; Centre for Ageing Better).
However, research also shows that older workers are less likely to receive training than younger colleagues, particularly when it comes to reskilling and new technologies (DWP; OECD). Over time, this creates avoidable capability risk.
2. Retention and Engagement Pressure
Older workers are among the most engaged employees. Research from AARP found engagement levels of around 65% for workers aged 50+, compared with 58–60% for younger age groups. If engagement levels across organisations matched this, revenues could rise by approximately 3% (AARP, 2015).
Engagement, however, is closely linked to job design. Where flexibility, autonomy and health-related adjustments are not available, retention suffers — even among highly committed employees.
3. Productivity and Performance
Age diversity is not a “nice to have”. International evidence shows a direct link to performance.An OECD study found that organisations with a 10% higher share of workers aged 50+ are, on average, 1.1% more productive, due to knowledge spillover, stronger teams and complementary skills across generations (OECD iLibrary).
These benefits do not happen automatically — they depend on inclusive practices and effective management.
Why Traditional Workforce Planning Falls Short
Most workforce strategies still focus heavily on:
Headcount and vacancies
Short-term skills forecasting
Immediate cost pressures
What they often miss is how workforce composition interacts with organisational systems — policies, management practices, job design and culture.
This matters because attitudes and assumptions quietly shape outcomes. Research shows that 57 is the average age at which candidates are perceived as “too old”, and one in seven older workers report being turned down for a job because of their age (Totaljobs, 2024). These dynamics undermine resilience long before organisations realise it.
Why Workforce Self-Assessment Matters
Understanding workforce resilience does not require complex modelling or perfect data. What it does require is structured reflection.
A workforce resilience self-assessment helps organisations:
Identify where experience and skills are most exposed to loss
Understand whether policies genuinely support sustainability across career stages
Spot inclusion and retention risks early, rather than reacting to them
Make better-informed decisions about workforce investment
This approach focuses on patterns and systems, not individuals — making it practical, proportionate and actionable.
A Practical Next Step
To support organisations in navigating these challenges, ProAge has developed a Workforce Resilience Self-Assessment. It is designed to help leaders:
Understand how resilient their workforce model really is
Identify hidden risks linked to retention, capability and inclusion
Prioritise actions that strengthen long-term performance
Click the link below to complete your own free Workforce Resilience Self Assessment
Want to Go Further?
The assessment is often just the starting point. ProAge works with organisations to interpret results, explore workforce risks in more depth, and design practical, evidence-based responses that build resilience over time.
If you would like to learn more about workforce resilience, age inclusion, or how these issues may be affecting your organisation, we would welcome a conversation.
👉 Get in touch with ProAge to find out more:
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