Navigating the employment arena after the age of 50 can be a challenge in Switzerland. Figures from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO) showing that the over-50s are more affected by long-term unemployment raise questions about the causes and consequences of this trend, especially as they represent 1/3 of the working population in Switzerland.

For some, the image of the over-50s in the workplace may be falsely associated with an economic burden (high salary demands), a challenge to internal cohesion (a supposed lack of adaptability and flexibility) or a risk to productivity or performance (a supposed aversion to technology).

At a time of increasing retirement age and demographic transition (by 2035, 50% of Europe's population will be over 45), the employment of older workers is more than ever a social issue. It's a real issue that needs to be addressed, both in companies and in society as a whole.

To illustrate the point, we asked a number of job-seeking banking specialists over the age of 50 to talk to us. The LevelPlus pilot measure of the job market enabled us to meet people who had been looking for work for several months.

Mr X, an engineer by training with a specialization in IT, with over 30 years' experience in banking for local financial institutions, has been unemployed for 13 months. He finds himself on the job market at the age of 55, 10 years from retirement.

He talks about how difficult it is to be invited to a job interview, despite actively canvassing his network and sending out hundreds of job offers.

How do you win over companies when you're a senior?

We have identified the following levers:

• Continuous training: staying active as long as possible reinforces the need to learn throughout one's professional career. One of the main reasons for long-term unemployment among seniors is the mismatch between their skills and market needs. Either the job has changed (obsolete skills) or the job has disappeared. Technological advances (robotics, artificial intelligence, etc.) are making giant strides.

• Take a skills assessment: this is a great way to approach the second half of your career and discover new professional possibilities. These assessments enable you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and help you find your bearings and better understand your potential.

• Reconsidering one's salary: this is often a difficult step for senior job-seekers. Salary is often awkwardly equated with a person's worth, and is perceived as recognition of hard work and social success. However, lowering one's salary is not the only key to getting back to work, but rather a taboo to be broken in order to get back on the career wagon.

• Consider temporary assignments: Seniors have invaluable skills. As with permanent positions, fixed-term contracts, consulting and freelance work represent employment opportunities that should not be overlooked. The only sine qua non when you're self-employed is to build up your network in advance and over several years. The temporary employment market has grown by 8% compared to 2022, and this trend is continuing. The succession of economic crises contributes to a climate of uncertainty, which sometimes encourages companies to recruit without making long-term commitments. When you're a few years away from retirement, sharing your know-how in project mode with younger teams can open up new job prospects. It allows you to work on your personal branding, make yourself known, choose your assignments and increase your flexibility.

In conclusion, the employment of seniors depends as much on the proactivity of the candidate as on the changing needs of the market in which he or she is evolving. And as the gap between these two factors widens, so does the difficulty of finding a job. The solutions lie in the hands of candidates, and also in those of employers, who can support them in recognizing and maintaining their skills, which are invaluable for training the next generation.

Adelaide Gorchynskyy and Julie Guittard

Michael Page

Recruitment consultants

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