Embracing Multigenerational Talent: Strategies from

By 2040, over 12 million Australians will be aged 50 and above- nearly half of the current working population (Spencer, 2025). Yet, many businesses continue to hire as if the pipeline of young talent is unlimited.

At our recent Bridging the Generational Divide webinar, Sirius. partnered with workforce experts from Bunnings, Indeed, WorkPro, and AgeInc to unpack how demographic shifts are reshaping the talent landscape and why forward-thinking companies are building multigenerational hiring strategies today.

The Demographic Shift You Can't Ignore

Richard Spencer (Founder, AgeInc) pointed out during the panel that Australia currently has around 9 million people over 50, projected to grow to 12 million by 2040. Meanwhile, the pool of younger candidates entering the workforce is shrinking, intensifying competition for early-career talent.

This demographic transformation has significant workplace implications, including:

Workplaces with up to five generations represented simultaneously
Increasing workforce participation by Australians over 65 (currently at 15%)
The need to redefine our concept of "working age" beyond the traditional 15-64 age range
A shrinking traditional labor pool based on conventional definitions

(AIHW, 2021)

As Callam Pickering (Indeed) explained during the webinar, economists have long been less worried about technology taking jobs, and more concerned about not having enough workers to fill them. With the younger workforce shrinking, companies must rethink how they attract, retain, and engage all generations, especially mature workers.

The Hidden Opportunity in Age Diversity

While the mature age unemployment rate is relatively low at 2.8% (as of June 2024), these workers face disproportionate challenges when seeking new roles. ABS data reveals it takes on average around 20 months for a mature age worker to find a new job, compared to approximately nine months for 15-54 year-olds (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2024).

This represents both a social challenge and a strategic opportunity for forward-thinking organisations.

What Each Generation Brings to the Table

Our panel highlighted that a future-fit workforce isn't just age-diverse, it's rich in perspectives, experiences, and working styles:

Mature Workers:

Bring deep customer insight from decades of experience
Show strong loyalty and longer tenure
Offer mentorship and stabilising influence to younger colleagues
Remain curious and capable of learning when given the opportunity

As Colleen Starick, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Bunnings, shared: "We're seeing older workers bring enormous value through peer support, brand knowledge, and their connection to customers. They're not slowing down, they're showing up differently."

Gen Z and Millennials:

Value meaningful work and flexibility
Bring fresh perspectives, digital fluency, and strong adaptability
Challenge outdated processes and promote innovation

Blending these strengths creates teams that are balanced, resilient, and innovative.

The Business Case for Multigenerational Teams

The evidence is clear: organisations that embrace age diversity gain competitive advantages. Age-diverse teams demonstrably:

Improve problem-solving and innovation
Increase knowledge retention and transfer
Enhance customer service, especially in sectors with broad customer age ranges
Strengthen team stability and reduce turnover

Bunnings Success Story: a third of the workforce is over 50, with many employees staying 10, 15, or even 20 years. Their approach isn't just age-inclusive; it's business-driven.

As our panel discussed, sectors facing skills shortages have particularly compelling reasons to embrace mature workers as panelist Callam highlighted"We still have a massive shortage of young builders. So we need those older individuals to pass on ways of working and mentor individuals while they still add value to their trade, whilst not necessarily having to do the physical work."

Building a Successful Multigenerational Workplace

Our webinar uncovered several practical strategies for building high-performing multigenerational teams:

1. Debunk False Stereotypes

The cultural narratives about aging significantly influence workplace employment strategies. Assumptions about age lead to explicit biases (e.g., seeking a "young, dynamic team"), implicit biases (e.g., equating age with poor health), and self-directed ageism (e.g., "I'm too old to learn something new").

Successful organisations actively challenge these stereotypes. 💡 As one Bunnings initiative demonstrated, showcasing the journey of mature team members through in-store posters helped shift perceptions and attract diverse applicants.

💡In addition, Bunnings shared a simple, cost-effective solution such as a QR code, which actually takes applicants straight to their career site on store registers. Because not everyone's looking on Seek or Indeed for job opportunities. This approach created a direct pathway to employment for mature job seekers, bypassing digital barriers that might otherwise exist.

2. Create "Ready-Made Mentoring"

Smart organisations intentionally pair team members across generations:

💡 "We have ready-made mentoring happening in our stores all of the time. So you've got the older team member who potentially has been a plumber for 30 to 40 years of their life. And then you've got the 16-year-old who's on their first job, learning from each other."

This two-way exchange benefits everyone: younger workers gain institutional knowledge and practical skills, while mature workers receive support with new technologies and systems.

3. Offer Flexibility That Works Across Life Stages

Flexibility isn't a one-size-fits-all perk, it's a strategic lever for engaging a wide talent pool. From phased retirement to micro-shifts, part-time work and scheduling autonomy, adaptable arrangements support:

Older workers transitioning out of full-time roles
Return-to-work parents
Students entering the workforce
Anyone seeking better work-life integration

💡 Tania, Founder & CEO of WorkPro shared a particularly effective example where micro-shifts enabled them to engage mature Australians, retirees, people with disabilities, and carers, offering meaningful work aligned to quality assessment needs.

💡 Bunnings similarly uses flexible rostering to match community needs, offering a choice of shifts and locations, while proudly promoting age diversity through internal programs and store campaigns.

4. Focus on Values Alignment Rather Than Age

Organisations thriving with multigenerational teams prioritise values alignment over age-related assumptions. 💡 As Bunnings demonstrated with their Future Leader program: "You don't have to be under 25 to be on our Future Leader program. You can be in your 50s and be selected as well." (Colleen Starrick, Head of Diversity and Inclusion)

5. Adapt Communication Styles

Recognise different communication preferences without judgment, for example, face-to-face vs. digital-first styles to foster respect and understanding.

The Sirius Advantage: Leading by Example

At Sirius, we don't just advise on multigenerational hiring, we live it. Our own exam supervision team showcases the power of tapping into mature talent:

246 active exam supervisors
97% aged over 50
87% aged over 60
23% aged over 70

This team of predominantly semi-retired or retired white-collar professionals delivers exceptional results through their experience, reliability, and professionalism, proving that age diversity isn't just the right thing to do; it's smart business.

Final Thought: The Opportunity Ahead

The workforce is aging and forward-thinking organisations see this not as a challenge, but as an opportunity.

Companies that embrace age diversity and build multigenerational teams will be better equipped to handle complexity, navigate change, and maintain competitive advantage.

Is your hiring strategy keeping pace with demographic reality? If not, it might be time for a conversation with Sirius about how we can help you build a truly future-fit workforce.

Want to explore how Sirius can help your organisation develop a multigenerational hiring strategy? Contact our specialist team today for a consultation.

Want to hear the full panel discussion and dive deeper into the data? You can request access to the recording by emailing info@sirius.com.auor visit our Events & Networking Page