THE FUTURE OF WORK READINESS
No! Don’t resign!
That was our first reaction when our friend, whom we had not seen for a while, announced that she was resigning…
Our bad! Without asking her as why she is resigning, instead our immediate response was an unanimous “don’t resign!!” from the three of us. Some might say we are selfish, but it’s unfortunate that we’re in this situation today. The feeling of being “overshadowed” is something many in this generation are grappling with—often feeling ignored by other generations.
This generation is approaching a mid-career crisis. Some are considering retirement, while others are exploring different phases of their career growth. Should they retire soon or later? Many of them are facing this dilemma as they navigate the next phase of their career journey.
Generally, people often talk about Baby Boomers in the context of retirement, as they are born between the age of 60 and beyond. Born between 1946 and 1964, most Baby Boomers have already retired or are approaching retirement. However, we are not talking about Boomers here. Instead, we are focusing on Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1980. Many people mistakenly classify Gen Xers born in the late ’60s and early ’70s as the Boomers, while those born in the late ’70s are often confused with the Millennials. This misclassification has led to Gen Xers being “overshadowed” much of the time.
Coming back to my friend, her primary reason for resigning was being overwhelmed with work, not a desire to retire. We reacted otherwise because we were worried she might face challenges in finding a job after quitting, given that she is already in her fifties. Despite her determination to explore a lower role if necessary, the three of us were not optimistic about her prospects.
Should we be more optimistic about this situation? In my humble opinion, we cannot deny that ageism is prevalent and becoming more prominent with the inception of newer technologies like Gen AI. This has been an issue for a long time and has escalated according to a 2022 AARP survey. As reported by the BBC, the AARP survey found that approximately 80% of Gen Xers and late Boomers face silent discrimination at work. It’s real and over in Malaysia, 65% leaders prefer hiring less experienced employees with AI skills over experienced workers lacking these skills, according to the Microsoft and LinkedIn’s latest 2024 Work Trend Index report.
Therefore, should the industry provide opportunities to this generation approaching retirement? It’s unfortunate that we are heading towards an aging population, and the question remains whether we are prepared for it. CNBC reported that only 4% of employers were committed to integrating older workers to support a multigenerational workforce, based on a 2020 global employer survey. Based on WEF (World Economic Forum), according to the panelist Soon-joo Gog, the SkillsFuture’s Singapore Chief Skills Officer suggested that organization should redesign roles for new needs. We should applaud this move and especially for Gen Xers, who are known for their hardwork and resilience generation. In fact Gen Xers, many of whom are parents of Gen Z, should be well-positioned to work with these Gen Zer, offering mentoring and knowledge sharing that can bridge the gap between different work styles and expectations. Mentorship can foster a culture of learning and growth, as advise by CIPD too.
WRITTEN BY ELSIE
