Marc Lenze: They're certainly aware of the issue, but less than required, and it differs from branch to branch. In fact, some companies are deeply concerned because they fee that their production has slowed down or there is more downtime. Our argument is that the health aspect is only one of a many - even though it often appears to be an operational priority. Since human resources requirements in the future will increasingly have to be met by older employees, other issues arise, such a particular region's ability to provide sufficient workers and whether older workers are actually prepared to undergo further training.

In light of this, how have companies react to your offer to inform managers about how to deal with and train older employees?

Marc Lenze: As a rule, they approach us, but this usually occurs only after they have already begun to feel pressure. Any by the way, the perception of the importance of the need to address problems of this type rarely comes from top levels of management; the impulse usually comes from lower down the line, for example from production.

And what happens then?

Marc Lenze: When we actually get down to working with a company, a relatively accurate picture of where the they will stand in fifteen years will be emerges from an age-structure analysis. Looking at the details allows us to identify the areas where action needs to be undertaken and to make relevant recommendations. As soon as demographic change and its operational impact are scrutinized, there is a new type of in-house networking involving production, human resources, training, change management, occupational health and healthcare advancement, managers, and especially top management with its strategic view.

What do the companies have to contend with? Why do they need advice?

Marc Lenze: As I've said, older workers are absolutely willing to deal with both physical and psychological pressure, and I have to emphasize that they are able to produce very well - they have no great limitations. Having said this, though, workers do have expectations. For example, people who have been on the job for many years view early retirement as being justified and - with an eye on fairness - know that their colleagues used to retire much earlier and therefore think they should have the same opportunity.

And is the fact that some of them view themselves at the end of the line and internally start to wind down from their jobs of any significance?

Marc Lenze: Yes, this does happen, and when it does, management has to make the effort to think about where there might still be potential for motivation and what factors contribute to making older workers draw contentment from their jobs. Here esteem is an important factor, as is being involved in integrated tasks that enable workers to get a sense of the broader significance of their efforts. Managers who grasp these concepts and modify the tasks to be done accordingly foster motivation.

Furthermore, it will difficult for firms to fill certain positions and generally difficult to find enough workers - particularly people who are adequately qualified. They need to put their requirement profiles under the microscope because in the past, expectations were pushed artificially high due to the labor surplus. Not every job requires a PhD, or even necessarily a high-school diploma.

What type of feedback have you received from the companies you've advised and who have implemented the eLearning programs you've developed?

Marc Lenze: The training offers participants the chance to modify their image of older people, and the main point is to sensitize them. What is new for many managers is the realization that they themselves have a great influence on their team's job satisfaction. Also, that engaging in dialogue with older employees has a positive effect and doesn't cost anything.

You don't apply your tools out of the box - that is, you adapt them to the specific needs of the organization, don't you?

Marc Lenze: Right. We have, for example, a special version for production because tailor-made solutions are more authentic. People who work in the automobile industry aren't interested in examples from a chemical company. It comes across as fake, and the managers don't take it seriously as a training tool. The pictures, wording, and personal information have to be just right.

Why have you decided to work on your new topic - which has the rather unwieldy name "Life-Stage Oriented Self-Help Competencies".

Marc Lenze: It sounds complicated, but it lends itself very easily to concretization. Many things occur in people's private lives after the age of 45 that affect their capabilities. Almost thirty percent of the employees at this age are confronted with having someone in their family who requires home care, and deaths and divorce also create burdens. And then there are cases where employees have to take care of both their children as well as another family member.

And what can a specialized management-training program contribute here?

Marc Lenze: First of all, let me say that this goes beyond pure altruism. Anyone wanting to hold onto employees and reinforce their abilities needs to do more than briefly show sympathy. For example, it would be good if a supervisor knew where to get information and assistance in these situations. Of course I admit that a very positive work culture is required for a manager to be seen as a support provider in these private matters, but demographic change will bring about these modifications simply because the results the change produces are inevitable.


The problem of having too few child-care possibilities will expand, and it may happen that one day companies will not only have to provide kindergartens, but they will also have to build geriatric homes in their direct proximity. It may sound somewhat visionary, but it's also quite logical.

Does this mean you're working on a new course that focuses on dealing with crises in the second half of life?

Marc Lenze: It's not certain whether we'll integrate it into the demographic-change training program. Since this topic has so many facets, it might be better to develop it as a separate course.