This is the first of a three part sponsored series with Officeworks. The content is produced by Fairfax in commercial partnership with Officeworks.
Alex Liberman was contracted to General Motors for more than 20 years, working most recently in computer-aided design.
![Alex Liberman took on a new job at age 43 as head of UX at On a Roll 21.](/web/20170505053445im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/w/f/g/g/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvwf0h.png/1493679656825.jpg)
When the car manufacturer announced it was pulling out of Australia in 2014, many would have been concerned getting another role at the age of 43 could have been problematic.
Luckily, Liberman had a great set of skills, a willingness to learn and, most importantly, the right attitude. His CAD background and love of technology meant he gravitated to new roles that were emerging in the IT sector.
A door opening
"I saw the situation as a door opening, not closing, and a chance to change my career and bring all my passions together," Liberman says.
Around the time he started looking for a new career he came across the emerging field of "user experience", more commonly known as UX.
An analytical and technical area, UX designers are responsible for the interface between computers and humans. For instance, the way Apple's devices are so easy to use is because of its UX focus.
"I started studying UX and making connections in the area," Liberman says. He completed a UX course at global education house General Assembly.
Today, he's head of UX at a business called On a Roll 21. "I'm the oldest one in the company," Liberman laughs. He says being an older worker is advantageous to the business.
"I have the confidence to put the brakes on if something is not going down the right path and we need to step back and rethink things. Older people are also often better able to see the bigger picture, as well as build rapport more easily."
It's essential for all businesses to recognise the value older workers bring to an organisation because Australians are staying in the workforce for much longer than in the past.
Our ageing workforce
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, as at March 2016, 13 per cent of Australians over 65 remained in the workforce, up from just 8 per cent.
Older people are also often better able to see the bigger picture, as well as build rapport more easily.
Alex Liberman
Marissa Sandler is one business owner who sees the increase in the number of older workers as a commercial opportunity. She is the co-founder of Careseekers, an online platform that connects people looking for in-home support with aged care, disability and post-operative care workers.
"We have many care workers in their 50s and 60s on the site. Many are retired nurses who are looking for a more flexible lifestyle because nursing shifts are long and often not flexible. With Careseekers they can choose their own hours; for instance they might find a three-hour shift nearby that suits them," she explains.
Sandler says there are substantial benefits to hiring older workers. "They are so reliable and their communication is fantastic. They are professional and their ability to relate to what the family is experiencing is really important.
"So aside from the fact they have great technical skills, they have that emotional experience and intelligence that is so necessary in these roles. A lot of the time we are supporting adults who are going through decisions and choices care workers have been through themselves."
Sandler points to one situation where a care worker was supporting a woman whose much older husband had dementia as an example of the added support older workers can offer.
"She was able to support the husband as the care worker, and she became great friends with his wife, who was around her age. That has continued on even after the husband entered assisted care. This rich experience our worker could offer is far from an isolated example."
Supporting older workers
While older workers have skills and attributes younger staff are still developing, it's important to recognise they also have particular needs employers should take into account.
For instance, Sandler says she sometimes needs to take older users through her site and how to use it step-by-step, as they may not have the same IT skills as younger people.
"A new graduate who wants to be a care worker listed on the site can manage this process themselves. But some older workers are less tech savvy. I'm happy to sit and talk them through the site. I also accept that even if we've done it once, they may not remember the next time because they're not on tech all day everyday, like young people."
Sandler says older people want a lot more detail about a job than a younger care worker. "I need to give them more colour to the client's story. They might want to know exactly what the situation is, who's living with the client and what they like to eat. Older care workers like to be more prepared for the situation they're going into."
If you're a small business owner and you wish to make the most of your older staff members, the idea is to recognise the experience this age group has to offer and do what you can as a business to accommodate them.
That way, they will be able to work to their potential and the business will benefit from having a truly engaged, experienced employee.
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