A new report by recruitment specialists Robert Walters indicates that professionals aged over 50 in the UK often feel excluded from career progression and skills development opportunities.
According to the findings, 73 percent of over-50s feel they have been overlooked for promotions in their current roles, while 59 percent believe their age restricts their access to upskilling initiatives. This sense of marginalisation comes as age-based biases continue to influence hiring and progression decisions in the UK workforce.
The research suggests a wider sentiment across age groups, with 65 percent of professionals saying it is advisable to leave age information off CVs to improve hiring prospects. Furthermore, economic pressures and insufficient pension savings mean 68 percent of over-50s expect they will need to work longer than originally planned. Robert Walters also points out that a significant proportion of older professionals are navigating these issues while managing long-term health conditions – a factor adding to the strain on this group’s career prospects.
Habiba Khatoon, Director of Robert Walters Midlands said, “With the number of over-50s in the jobs market still not returning to pre-pandemic levels and increasing prolonged illness and care responsibilities spiking levels of economic inactivity within this group, we quickly begin to see an issue which needs to be addressed.
“Our research further illustrates how professionals aged 50 and above are being met with considerable bias, whether it’s being overlooked for progression opportunities within their current company, held back from upskilling opportunities or being rejected when they apply for new roles.”
Barriers to Career Growth for Over-50s
Despite extensive experience, many over-50s report challenges when searching for new roles. Common barriers include perceptions that they are “overqualified” (43%), or that they have too high salary expectations (25%), are unsuitable for long-term positions (17%), or would struggle to fit into company culture (15%). These concerns often translate into missed opportunities, impacting career satisfaction and financial stability.
Habiba Khatoon said, “An older professional who may at first seem ‘overqualified’ is someone who could ultimately turn out being a more secure hire. By default, professionals over 50 have spent a longer time in the labour market, fulfilling a range of different positions, which will have given them a clearer picture of the jobs they are good at and the ones they want to continue doing, rather than focusing on how they can jump up the career ladder.
“Equally, unlike their younger peers who favour trends like ‘job-hopping’ and ‘squiggly careers’ which see them jump from one opportunity to the next – professionals over 50 are far more likely to dedicate themselves to a singular role, offering considerable years of loyalty to an organisation.”
Limited Access to Upskilling and Training
In addition to promotion and hiring biases, many professionals over 50 report being excluded from training and development opportunities. The Robert Walters report shows that 59 percent of over-50s believe they are frequently overlooked for upskilling programmes, which they view as essential for career longevity. A recent report found that only 22 percent of Baby Boomers report having received AI training, compared to nearly half (45 percent) of Gen Z workers.
“Continuous learning is crucial for all professionals, regardless of age – and multigenerational teams are perhaps the best for encouraging this. Whilst senior professionals may be more experienced in softer skills like leadership, their younger colleagues could cover digital skills like apprehending GenAI and emerging tech,” Khatoon said.
“Not having the chance to master new skills can put all professionals at a distinct disadvantage, especially in terms of being exposed to further promotions and progression opportunities.”
Age Discrimination: A Persistent Issue in Hiring
The Robert Walters survey further highlights age bias in the hiring process, with 65 percent of professionals – across all age groups – acknowledging that age disclosure on CVs could hinder their chances of securing new positions. Forty-one percent also say they omit graduation dates from their CVs to reduce the likelihood of age-related assumptions. While some progressive organisations are adopting a skills-first approach to hiring by disregarding age and graduation dates, these practices are not yet widespread.
Khatoon warns that reliance on age-related assumptions can deprive companies of valuable, skilled employees.
“Something as simple as keeping graduation dates in CVs can lead employers to make assumptions about a potential employee’s experience, aptitude, and attitude. We’ve seen some forward-thinking organisations request ages and graduation dates be left off CVs so they can consider them on a skills-first basis.”
Financial concerns further complicate the future for over-50s in the workforce, with over three-fifths of professionals in this age group anticipate a delayed retirement due to inadequate pension savings. A lack of support from employers, in terms of pension contributions, is also noted, with most contributions for professionals aged 50-59 falling within the 3-6 percent range, below the 7-10 percent range some other age groups receive.
The Department for Work & Pensions has observed that the average retirement age in the UK has risen, reaching 65.7 years for men and 64.5 years for women, the highest levels since reporting began.
Alessandra Pacelli is a journalist and author contributing to HRreview, an HR news and opinion publication, where she covers topics including labour market trends, employment costs, and workplace issues. She is a journalism graduate and self-described lifelong dog lover who has also written for Dogs Today magazine since 2014.
- Alessandra Pacelli
- Alessandra Pacelli
- Alessandra Pacelli
- Alessandra Pacelli
