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Employers may be focused on how to handle incoming Gen Z workers and retiring boomers, but they would be wise to avoid overlooking their middle-aged employees.
About 78.5% of employees aged 40 and above are actively working to learn new professional skills, according to a recent report from Udemy, an education technology company. This group includes many millennial and Gen X staffers, who may escape the careful eye of bosses looking to nurture talent elsewhere.
Greg Brown, CEO of Udemy, tells Fortune that these mid-career professionals are craving new skills because their career lifespan is getting longer, and many won’t be calling it quits at the traditional retirement age of 65.
“We’re living longer, we’re living healthier, and our perspective on the concept of retirement is very different,” Brown says. “Many [mid-life workers] aren’t even thinking about retiring. They’re continuing to evolve their skill sets and potentially do different things as they move on to the next stage of life.”
There are a few types of skills that middle-aged workers are gravitating towards. About 49% are focused on developing technical skills—the most sought-after capability—according to the report. Many are also learning more about tech like AI, because they recognize its growing importance as a marketable skill.
“They are very focused on making sure that as technology evolves, that they’re evolving with it and not being left behind,” he says.
But hard skills aren’t the only things they’re working on. Around 40% of middle-aged staffers are working on communication, 39.7% on creativity, 35.8% on personal interaction, 34.8% on organizational development, and 31% on planning and project management, according to the report.
Brown says that interest in soft skills among this group has become a top priority as more and more millennial and Gen X workers become middle managers who lead teams. He adds that strong communication capabilities are especially important in a distributed workforce, and extra helpful when it comes to Gen Z employees who may not be familiar with office norms.
“Being able to communicate in an environment that is in a hybrid, being able to do that effectively and bring people along, are really important skills for managers to have,” Brown says.
Brown recommends that companies take the initiative and have conversations with middle-aged workers about how they want to grow and develop. Some might feel neglected in their roles, and helping them achieve their aspirations could be a business and retention driver. He also suggests that if a mid-career staffer is interested in a different role, employers should give them the chance to move within the company rather than keep them trapped in a role they’re good at, but may not feel passionately about.
“It’s having a conversation and actually peeling the onion back a little bit, to better understand where their head’s at,” Brown says. “Organizations should explore options like [alternate roles] where it makes sense, so that they don’t lose that knowledge and expertise when they could have retained it.”
Emma Burleigh
emma.burleigh@fortune.com
Today’s edition was curated by Brit Morse.
Around the Table
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Watercooler
Everything you need to know from Fortune.
Super-commuters. Rural and suburban dwellers, having left the city during the pandemic, are now wasting 12 hours or more evert week in transit due to return-to-office mandates. Despite this, three-quarters say they’re happier for it. —Ryan Hogg
Sporty success. While many of Silicon Valley’s self-proclaimed tech nerds have found success as CEOs, research finds that those who play sports bring home $220,000 more in cumulative wages on average. —Orianna Rose Royle
Massive relocation. Automaker Stellantis announced plans to shutter its 120-year-old factory. More than 1,000 employees now face the daunting dilemma of relocating 140 miles or losing their jobs. —Ryan Hogg