How to Turn Australia’s Ageing Population into a Competitive

Australia's demographic landscape is shifting rapidly. By 2050, individuals aged 55 and over are projected to comprise about 40% of the adult population (CEPAR 2023). This shift presents both challenges and opportunities for businesses striving to maintain a resilient and dynamic workforce. Proactive workforce planning is essential to address potential skill shortages and to harness the invaluable experience of mature workers.

The Demographic Reality: Why You Need to Act Now

By 2030 just one planning cycle away every Baby Boomer will be at least 65, Gen X will start turning 65, and the oldest Millennials will hit 50. This rapid aging of our workforce means organisations need to implement future-proofing strategies today.

As Callum Pickering, Senior APAC Economist at Indeed, points out: "We knew that age discrimination was rife across the job market. We knew that if you found yourself unemployed in your 50s, it was really difficult to get back to gainful employment... businesses just haven't fundamentally changed the way they were approaching things."

Australia’s care workforce alone faces a projected shortage of over 200,000 full-time workers by 2050 (The Guardian, 2022). This is just one of many sectors that will feel the pressure.

That’s why strategic workforce planning isn’t just about filling today’s vacancies, it’s about ensuring you have the right talent mix 3, 5, or even 10 years from now. With the right partner, succession planning, upskilling, and recruitment can work together as one integrated talent strategy.

Real-World Solutions: What Leading Employers are Doing

Bunnings’ Travelling Team Member Program.

Colleen Starrick, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Bunnings, shared the success of their “Travelling Team Member” initiative. This allows employees to work at different store locations across Australia particularly helpful for older team members transitioning into retirement while staying engaged.

At any time, around 30 employees are participating, working anywhere from one to six months in various locations. It’s a win-win: Bunnings retains skilled team members, and those team members enjoy the flexibility to travel and contribute on their own terms.

Bunnings also supports older employees with financial wellness sessions to help them confidently plan for retirement, reinforcing that inclusion and planning can go hand in hand.

Workpro’s Micro-Shifts and Blind Screening

WorkPro has introduced micro-shifts, offering short, flexible shifts ideal for semi-retired workers or those with other life commitments. The result? A loyal, high-performing workforce that thrives on flexibility.

They’ve also taken a firm stand against unconscious bias by using blind resume screening, removing age-identifying information from job applications to focus purely on skills and potential

Succession Planning: Rethinking "Future Leaders"

A key part of future-proofing is busting the myth that leadership has an age limit. Bunnings’ “Future Leader” program is open to employees in their 50s, acknowledging that seasoned professionals still have 15–20 productive years ahead and that leadership can come from experience, not just ambition.

“You don't have to be under 25 to be on our Future Leader program,” says Starrick. “You can be in your 50s and be selected too.”

At Sirius, we help businesses identify high-potential talent across all demographics, not just the usual suspects. Age-inclusive succession planning can supercharge your leadership pipeline by combining legacy knowledge with fresh thinking. More than 50% of our senior leadership team at Sirius are above the age of 40.

Preparing for Skills Gaps: Strategic Workforce Planning

Future-proofing doesn’t happen by accident. Here are some approaches we recommend at Sirius to our clients

Conduct skills audits to identify where institutional knowledge may be lost to retirement
Develop knowledge transfer programs to capture key insights before experienced staff exit
Design targeted recruitment campaigns to plug future gaps, not just current roles
Offer flexible work models to retain mature talent and attract new candidates
Use apprenticeships to reskill existing staff and ensure continuity across generations

We support clients in building these strategies into their workforce plans, ensuring that every hiring decision aligns with their long-term business goals.

Practical First Steps for Organisations

If you're unsure where to start, here are some actions you can take today:

✔️ Audit your current workforce demographics
✔️ Introduce blind recruitment to reduce unconscious bias
✔️ Offer flexible arrangements like micro-shifts and job sharing
✔️ Provide financial planning sessions for employees nearing retirement
✔️ Challenge age-based stereotypes with training and internal comms campaigns

Partnering with a recruitment agency like Sirius can help you action these steps confidently. We work with businesses to implement age-inclusive, future-focused hiring strategies tailored to your industry and workforce needs.

Conclusion: Age-Inclusive Workforce Planning Is Strategic Planning

As Australia’s population continues to age, businesses that embrace the shift rather than resist it will be better placed to thrive.

By adopting innovative programs like Bunnings’ travelling initiative, creating succession pipelines that include experienced professionals, and designing recruitment strategies with long-term thinking in mind, you can future-proof your workforce and gain a competitive edge.

🚀 The time to plan is now. Don’t wait for the demographic crunch to hit.

Sirius partners with organisations to build age-inclusive, future-ready teams through strategic recruitment, workforce audits, and talent mapping. Reach out for a consult and future-proof your workforce today.

📩 info@sirius.com.au