On Wednesday, October 17th, our managing partner Patricio Gil Olmedo personally attended the interesting and necessary round table discussion on senior talent organized by IMF Business School and 40Plus Association and in which friendly organizations such as Savia Generation.
An event where experts from the social and business sectors presented the realities of this important and valuable segment of society: senior talent. The panel of experts, comprised of professionals from Spain's most influential companies and organizations, shed light on the opportunities that this highly skilled talent represents for overcoming the challenges of an increasingly complex world that demands diverse solutions.
The faces of reflection
The event featured prominent professionals from diverse sectors and approaches, which we detail below:
- María José ValdiviesoFounding Partner of Plus40net
- Miguel LópezConsulting Partner at Plus40net
- José Ignacio Casas, Founding Partner of Jomial Research & Consultants
- Angela Gorostizu, Consulting Director at Master Value People Spain
- Juan Carlos Delrieu, Director of Strategic Planning at AEB
- Francisco MesoneroGeneral Director of the Adecco Foundation & CSR at Adecco Group Iberia and Latam
- Alicia Coronil Jónsson, Director of the Economics Department of the Business Circle
- Manuel Naharro Arteche, Project Manager of the SAVIA Platform
- Marian Aredes PoloHR Director at GT Motive
- Jesus VegaSpeaker and former executive of Inditex, Banco Santander and Hewlett-Packard
- Immaculate AragonBusiness strategy, marketing and sales professional, consultant and coach
Key ideas in tweets
From age 40 onwards – even up to 50, when people are still considered young today – unemployment figures rise. Why are companies reluctant to hire these generations? #invisibletalentIMF @Plus40Net
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 11th October 2018
It saddens me that there's no long-term vision. Micro-enterprises abound in Spain, where the state needs to play a crucial role in implementing hiring policies. We're going to have a problem starting in 2024 when the baby boomers retire. @CoronilAlicia #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/iGrfvkNQ6V
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
"If skills were measured, we wouldn't have this bias. Many companies boast about their demographics, with very low average ages, so we're talking about stereotypes on the one hand, and companies that use age as a differentiator on the other." #invisibletalentIMF
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
Reasons why we're not hired: We're expensive. We're unmotivated. We don't get along well with technology.
68% would be willing to sacrifice salary to work less. Companies should offer incentives, as they do with millennials. @JesusVega_ #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/tbBSbqCwI1— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
@NaharroManuel Socioculturally it's very different, when we ask a senior who has gotten a job in @Savia_RRHH They shouldn't talk about it; they don't usually do. In the US, for example, they're proud of it; here, we don't want to expose ourselves. We need to generate movement. #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/WYxmbC3XZU
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
The audience asks: Are there any government measures in place to encourage the hiring of untapped talent? @mjosevaldivieso says from @Plus40Net They are talking to institutions, still at the very beginning, but with hope that initiatives will emerge. #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/vSSP7yjdhu
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
Listening to @JesusVega_ Speaking about talent: "Our country cannot afford to do without senior talent" - event organized by @Plus40Net en @IMFFORMACION #InvisibleTalentIMF pic.twitter.com/sJ54mZSrME
—Marian Corral (@mariancorral) 17th October 2018
"There are prejudices against the older population that they are digitally illiterate, that they don't learn, that they struggle. We can contradict all of this with real data, as you can read in the book." #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/qYsuw9NUu1
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
"During the crisis, the impact was uniform across all age groups. Employment growth has been higher in the last two years for those over 45, which gives us some hope; however, it remains a vulnerable segment with long-term unemployment." #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/RoF3Iej7qz
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
"Ultimately, it's not just a matter of HR, but also of the CEO and the board. For example, in tourism, if the client is senior, no one understands and sells the product better than senior staff." @Pacomesonero #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/WRZ3iZ3xZ4
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
@CoronilAlicia I'm half Icelandic. In Iceland, for the last 40 years, they've understood that retirement doesn't end their contribution to society. They retrain and take on another role. This isn't the practice here. We have the right and the ability to do so. #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/KvxYsrv1l9
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
We need to be able to work on projects, mentoring, and lightening workloads. It's not just about working with senior staff; we need to work with companies, encouraging them to communicate clearly. We have many more responses regarding the measures... #rsc that of #rrhh @NaharroManuel #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/LUxZDXdiPY
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
"Spain's demographic situation is tragic. We have no children, no replacement rate. We are pushing skilled people out of the economy without providing solutions. It's truly dramatic." @JesusVega_ #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/SgPlsvrzfm
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
"Spain is wasting time. Debates about pensions continue, but the regulatory framework remains unchanged. Policies must be developed to allow people to maintain their pensions while still earning income from another job, as is done in Nordic countries." @CoronilAlicia #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/cUCDo22HSE
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
The company needs the best talent from its own people. That's why I invest heavily in policies for #communication The employee matters and if they have talent I will do everything possible to promote them, regardless of their age. @GtMotive #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/3w1CByJamD
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
The fear of failure in this country is a stigma, not penalized by law but by society. We torment ourselves. @NaharroManuel #invisibletalentIMF pic.twitter.com/SZNtMfWB9f
— IMF Business School (@IMFFORMACION) 17th October 2018
To @joseicasas Information is key to overcoming the prejudices that hinder the hiring of senior talent. #invisible talent pic.twitter.com/97s66WICc1
— Plus40Net (@Plus40Net) 17th October 2018
Age is a factor that companies focus on when they have to face a workforce reduction plan without analyzing talent, a valuable asset that they lose. @Plus40Net #WomenAndEmployment
— @IgualdadClicA (@IgualdadClicA) 17th October 2018
The negative values and prejudices that people over 40 have (lack of digital literacy, reduced adaptability, etc.) need to be addressed because it's an individual issue, not an age issue. @Plus40Net
— @IgualdadClicA (@IgualdadClicA) 17th October 2018
The younger generation and the older generation share the same feeling: no matter how hard they try, they're not going to find a #job quality. #WomenandEmployment45 #recoveringtheinvisibletalent @Plus40Net
— @IgualdadClicA (@IgualdadClicA) 17th October 2018
1. Let's stop crying. 2. Let's have faith in everything we are capable of doing. 3. If we have any weaknesses, let's work on them. @JesusVega_ @Plus40Net #recoveringtheinvisibletalent
— @IgualdadClicA (@IgualdadClicA) 17th October 2018
To @CoronilAlicia We need to put pressure on the grassroots to demand the right to retraining and advancement for professionals over 40; let's change our mindset. #recoveringtheinvisibletalent
— Plus40Net (@Plus40Net) 17th October 2018
The biggest challenge is that we're heading towards a demographic model we've never had before, and we have the right to continue contributing to society. Alicia Coronil @Plus40Net #recoveringtheinvisibletalent
— @IgualdadClicA (@IgualdadClicA) 17th October 2018
@GeneracionSavia Manuel Navarro said he had received training from Google on productivity tools, and the senior staff were already familiar with them. It's not true that we're disconnected from technology. #recoveringtheinvisibletalent @Plus40Net
— @IgualdadClicA (@IgualdadClicA) 17th October 2018
To @GtMotive Discriminating against talent based on age would be corporate suicide. Retention is key to growth, and "expensive" is synonymous with profitable. #recoveringtheinvisibletalent
— Plus40Net (@Plus40Net) 17th October 2018
It is worrying that when the institutions react it will be too late because nothing is being done about it today. @CoronilAlicia
— Plus40Net (@Plus40Net) 17th October 2018
Developing retraining or talent development policies for SMEs and micro-enterprises is very complex. Therefore, state intervention is essential. - Alicia Coronil
@Plus40Net #recoveringtheinvisibletalent— @IgualdadClicA (@IgualdadClicA) 17th October 2018