INTHEBLACK May 2022 - Magazine - Page 55
Left: Hunter Leonard,
Silver & Wise
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AGEISM EXPERIENCE
About six years ago, ageism was not on Hunter Leonard’s radar. As a successful business
owner, he was in the process of expanding and was on the lookout for potential collaborators.
A mentor asked Hunter Leonard,
founder of Silver & Wise, whether
ageism was an issue he was passionate
about. It hadn’t been previously, but
the more he looked into it, the more it
became apparent that ageism was
holding some people back.
“I’ve never really experienced it
myself, but as I started asking the
question, I found people were saying
to me, ‘He hasn’t been able to get
a job for two years. And she hasn’t
been able to get work after a long
and varied career’,” Leonard says.
“The more I dug into it, the more
I realised that there really was a
significant issue.”
This led Leonard to found Silver
& Wise, an organisation helping
government, companies and
individuals embrace a more mature
world at work.
“We’re talking about people in their
50s and 60s who are the healthiest
generation of that age we’ve ever
seen. They are active, smart, engaged
and productive, so it does make
sense that companies, whether that’s
a small business with 10 employees
or a big business with 10,000
employees, should be thinking about
how they can become an age-friendly
and a multi-generational workforce,”
says Leonard.
DIVERSITY IS THE ANSWER
Organisational research tells us that
workforces that are diverse in a range
of experiences, including age, are
generally more productive and more
proactive, says Ian Yates. While
attention with regards to diversity
has been focused on gender, race and
disability, age discrimination has
been overlooked, he adds.
“COTA advocates for a package of
measures. We need a public
awareness campaign, we need the
government incentives that are
offered for employment to be more
widely promoted, and we need to
reform the age discrimination laws,
so that they recognise the systemic
nature of age discrimination. We also
need more proactive retraining
opportunities for mature-age
unemployed people.”
Taking a good look at your client
base can also be beneficial, adds
Roxanne Calder.
“There are certain brands of
retailers that have cleverly matched
the people that work there with their
customer base. The same could go
for an accounting firm. If you have
older staff who are knowledgeable
and experienced, then your clients
are going to appreciate that.”
Leonard adds, “It’s everybody’s
problem. We are all going to get
older, so clearly this is an issue we
all need to pay attention to.
“Accountants and financial advisers
are such a valuable part of our
community. They are a trusted
adviser of business owners, small and
large, so they can have a voice to
speak out against that. They have a
lot of potential to encourage a more
positive attitude towards mature-age
workers and job seekers.”
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au May 2022 55