NatWest is Championing an Age-inclusive Workforce

NatWest Group has joined forces with Work/Redefined, part of the 55/Redefined group of companies to tackle ageism within the workplace.

Annette Corbett

Annette Corbett is a freelance writer, and contributor to 55 Redefined, Reworked and more recently Raconteur for The Times.

“We’re approaching a workplace crisis,” said founder and CEO of 55/Redefined, Lyndsey Simpson as she opened a recent Age Pioneers forum. “By 2050, the working population in the UK will have shrunk by 25%, whilst the number of over-60s will have grown by 40%. This will create a huge shortfall in skilled workers – we need to act now.” These statistics ring true across all Western countries, resulting in a shortfall of 50 million skilled workers.

If your business doesn’t have an age strategy, it doesn’t have a growth strategy, and that’s why Lyndsey and 55/Redefined are joining forces with a new wave of employers such as NatWest Group, taking an age-inclusive approach to recruitment, in a bid to maximise access to talent. Here, we ask NatWest Group about the steps they are taking to recruit 50+ talent and why it is important to them.

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Why is NatWest Group Passionate About Diversity, and Specifically Age Diversity?

At NatWest, we’ll stand up for people who are excluded, and work to remove barriers that stop people progressing in their career. As part of this, we want to give everyone who works at the bank and every customer who meets us, the chance to succeed and the support to thrive. This encompasses people of all ages.

We recognise the benefits of an intergenerational workforce. To be truly inclusive, we need to combat ageist stereotypes and bust the myths related to age. This will allow people to bring their authentic selves to work, and ensure people of all ages and backgrounds have a safe, happy, and healthy environment to work in.

Why is it Important to Take Specific Steps to Target 50+ Talent?

It’s important to target diverse talent across all spectrums to be representative of our customer base. 50+ talent brings a wealth of experience to the organisation, be it candidates looking to build on existing careers and experience, or those seeking to diversify and change direction.

Employees of different ages bring different skills, experiences and viewpoints, helping to increase innovation and problem solving. NatWest can harness all these different skills and capabilities to build teams which complement each other and provide development opportunities.

Multigenerational mentoring is effective in increasing employee retention and career development. As workforces become more age diverse, opportunities are identified to upskill employees on different strengths. These opportunities allow people to advance in their careers, and employee retention increases as people feel more supported and engaged.

Are There Any Practices or Programmes NatWest Follow When it Comes to Age Diversity That You Are Particularly Proud Of?

Our graduate programme – it’s not age restricted, and applicants can apply regardless of when they graduated, so it allows people from different generations to kickstart their career in a different way.

Opportunities are given to build business knowledge and personal effectiveness skills, whilst also growing vital future skills. This is something which all joiners to the programme have found particularly beneficial.

What Other Benefits Can New Joiners Enjoy?

Our Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion team has continued to build their cohort of Inclusion Champions, which now constitutes of around 1000 employees across all business areas. The role of an Inclusion Champion is to take action to create a workplace where our colleagues and customers feel they’re treated fairly, and with respect.

We have delivered targeted learning sessions on psychological safety by an external expert to our Inclusion Champions, to equip them with the skills to support a safe, inclusive workplace for all colleagues.

Why Has NatWest Group Chosen to Partner With Jobs/Redefined to Recruit The 50+ Talent Pool?

We want our business to reflect the communities we serve, which means listening to and engaging with a difference. The recruitment of the 50+ talent pool will allow us to continue to listen to different voices and build teams which reflect our diverse communities and clients.

Now more than ever, it’s crucial that employers have a multigenerational workforce, providing opportunities for all ages to develop and grow their careers.

What are you waiting for? Take a look at Natwest's current job roles and discover the advantages of working for an age-inclusive organisation.