We live longer, we work more, and yet today we face an unprecedented global talent crisis. How is it possible that with increasingly longer career paths and in a skills-based economyLet’s continue leaving the segment of the population over 50 years old out of the game, who have so much to contribute? Longevity has transformed the professional cycle, but many companies and economies continue to operate under an obsolete logic, focused almost exclusively on young talent, while wasting the intellectual capital, maturity and strategic vision of talent. silver.
It is surprising that organizations that usually dedicate vast resources to human resources strategies, talent development and employee well-being, are discarding or even disengaging those with greater experience and maturity, wasting invisible strategic assets. In many organizations, talent over 50 is still perceived as “expensive,” “inflexible,” or “technologically obsolete.” This narrative, in addition to being unfair, is not very visionary from an economic and strategic point of view.
In this sense, from a personal experience, in the United States, Europe and Latin America, I have had the opportunity to observe this reality from multiple angles. Even as a young executive, I want to propose a new narrative: that of 50+ talent not as a liability that must be managed, but as a strategic asset capable of driving the growth of companies and entire economies.
What do organizations lose by underutilizing +50 talent?
In Latin America, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the unemployment rate in people over 50 years of age is higher than in other age groups. And when they manage to reintegrate, they usually do so in positions below their level of experience, with reduced salaries and informal or more precarious contracts. Simultaneously, countries face obvious demographic challenges: aging populations, lower birth rates, and growing pressure on pension and health systems.
For its part, the International Monetary Fund reported in April 2025 that, on average, a 70-year-old person in 2022 had cognitive abilities similar to those of a 53-year-old individual in 2000, which enhances their labor mobility and productivity. By 2031, it is projected that within the G7 Group, more than 25% of the workforce will be made up of people aged 55 and over, underscoring their growing weight in the global market.
Although this segment of the population ages with better cognitive health than previous generations, the employment rate among those aged 60 to 64 barely reaches 56% in OECD countries, with wide gaps depending on education, gender and country. Furthermore, less than 5% of unemployed older workers manage to reintegrate into the market after a year of inactivity.
Companies that ignore or underestimate 50+ talent lose much more than experience, since by not incorporating this segment of the population, they let go:
- Organizational knowledge: Senior professionals understand the processes, internal political dynamics and long-term implications that often escape younger profiles.
- Emotional stability and empathic leadership: Maturity usually brings greater emotional intelligence, the capacity for containment and a more constructive vision in the face of conflict.
- Networks and reputation: Many senior professionals have cultivated trusted relationships with clients, allies and strategic stakeholders over decades.
- Mentoring capacity: They are key to forming new generations, preventing the loss of experience and knowledge and facilitating healthy succession processes.
In a recent AARP study, 83% of American employers said they valued the experience of older talent, but only 5% had active inclusive hiring policies for this group. It is worrying to see how the gap between speech and action remains deep.
Read more: Trump promises trade fairness for Canada; appears less committed to the USMCA
Examples that inspire
Fortunately, some organizations are already demonstrating that another reality is possible. At the international level, we can see how Singapore has implemented the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Packagewhich provides subsidies for the hiring of professionals between 40 and 60 years old, promoting their reconversion in sectors such as technology, advanced manufacturing and health.
In Germany, for example, the “Silver Economy” program seeks to promote ventures led by people over 50, as part of its national strategy against aging. For its part, Orange, in France, redesigned its talent policy after a labor welfare crisis, incorporating specific mental health, training and mobility programs for people over 45 years of age.
In the United States, universities such as Harvard and Stanford have created programs such as the Advanced Leadership Initiative and the Distinguished Careers Instituteaimed at executives over 50 who want to redesign their second half of their professional life.
Meanwhile, in Latin America we see how in Colombia, the company Crepes & Waffles is recognized for hiring mothers who are heads of households and women over 45 years of age, becoming a benchmark for labor inclusion.
In Chile, the program Major Talent promotes alliances between companies and public organizations to reincorporate senior professionals in areas of mentoring and quality management. In Brazil, the Empresas Amigas do Idoso network promotes good intergenerational practices among its affiliates, which include banks, insurance companies and retailers.
For its part, in Mexico, the Silver Economy is beginning to see some light with initiatives from companies and some educational organizations. UNAM, for example, has explored diploma courses for older adults in areas such as history, human rights and digital literacy, promoting continuous learning without age limits.
Companies such as Grupo Bimbo have developed generational inclusion policies, including partial retirements, mentoring programs and professional retraining. TEC University will launch this year a portfolio of multiple courses and accessible learning experiences focused on life after 50with modules on professional reinvention, comprehensive well-being, community and purposeful leadership after retirement. And in the entrepreneurial field, incubators such as Startup México have begun to work with 50+ entrepreneurs through acceleration bootcamps aimed at senior profiles with social impact ideas.
So how do you turn 50+ talent into a competitive advantage?
Companies that manage to effectively integrate their 50+ professionals report concrete benefits: greater loyalty, lower turnover, more balanced teams and better decision making. How is this achieved? Through an intentional and effective strategy.
Some best practices Organizations that have successfully applied this Silver Economy reintegration model include:
- Redesign more flexible work models
Many over 50 want to continue contributing, but not under the 60-hour weekly scheme. Models such as project work, executive part-time or fractional leadership allow them to capitalize on their experience without forcing them into traditional roles.
2. Break biases from recruitment
We must train in age biases and promote selection processes without visible age, but rather based on previous experience and skills. In France, for example, some public companies such as EDF implemented “Your CV” to avoid discrimination based on age, gender or nationality.
It will also be very helpful to avoid using phrases in the recruitment process such as “young profile”, “recently graduated”, “dynamic” or “digital native”, which indirectly exclude the Silver segment. They can, for example, be replaced by: “relevant experience”, “willingness for continuous learning”, “adaptability” or “growth mindset”.
Another tactic for profiles over 50 consists of designing reintegration routes for older people who have been out of the labor market. For example, the “Returnship programs” of companies such as Goldman Sachs, Amazon and Deloitte have successfully reintegrated 50+ professionals.
3. Commit to intergenerational learning
From universities, we must create learning formats that connect generations: from mirror classes between young people and seniors to cross-mentoring networks and peer-to-peer learning. This is something that students, both +20 and +50 years old, continually point out how much they enjoy it. Furthermore, from the cognitive point of view of learning, it allows the bidirectional exchange of knowledge and attitudes, reducing stereotypes associated with age. It also reinforces community cohesion, facilitating links between generations and a sense of shared belonging.
4. Measure and recognize generational diversity
What is not measured is not known and therefore is not transformed. Incorporating generational diversity indicators in ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) reports is the first step to including those +50 in the talent strategy.
Towards an intergenerational economy
Finally, it should be said that the economy of the future will be intergenerational. The combination of young and senior talent is not a “nice to have”but it will be a constant need that must be managed proactively and we all have an important role in it.
In Latin America, we are still in an early phase, and although we see that initiatives in this direction are already emerging, we need to move from isolated projects to systemic policies. From the redesign of continuing education, to tax incentives for hiring senior profiles, to communication and awareness campaigns that break down stigmas.
We need to stop talking about 50+ talent as if it were a problem to solve and start seeing it as a competitive advantage to capitalize on. Every day that passes without actively integrating this experienced segment of the population, we waste millions in experience, productivity, and social integration.
Thus, the leaders of the future have the responsibility of building environments where all generations have space to contribute, learn and thrive. The longevity revolution has arrived. The question for everyone is: are our companies and economies ready to lead it?
This article was originally published in the print version of Forbes Mexico in October 2025.
The author is a citizen of the world, with 5 nationalities and more than a decade of experience in the educational sector. She is vice dean at the renowned IE Business School located in Madrid. She is an award-winning teacher, edu-entrepreneur and international speaker, with presentations and master classes recorded in more than 25 countries. Passionate about education, she is also an Advisor and Member of Boards of Directors in other Higher Education institutions and K-12 schools internationally.
You may be interested: Tesla presents the most economical models Y and 3 to counteract the loss of the US tax credit
