As more senior employees choose to stay in the workforce beyond their retirement age for financial stability or personal fulfillment, organizations must adapt to meet their evolving needs. From mentorship programs to flexible work arrangements, businesses can implement strategies that help older employees remain engaged while sharing their valuable expertise.

Below, 11 Forbes Human Resources Council members share their top recommendations for supporting seasoned employees who choose to continue their careers. These approaches can help foster an inclusive work environment that supports knowledge transfer, retains experienced talent, and increases job satisfaction across the organization.

1. Ensure Equal Opportunities For Growth And Advancement
‍Ensure retiree-age employees continue to have the same opportunities as everyone else. Just because they are a certain age does not mean that development and promotion opportunities should not come their way. Everyone is different; their circumstances are different and, therefore, their desires and aspirations for their careers will be different. Take the time to have a conversation with them! - Charlotte Sweeney OBE, Charlotte Sweeney Associates (CSA)

2. Create Reverse Mentorship Programs
‍Consider a reverse mentorship program where you pair them with younger employees so each can learn something from the other. One can teach AI and the other can teach specific product or organizational structure navigation lessons. - Subha Barry, Seramount

3. Recognize And Highlight Their Contributions
‍Pull these employees from the shadows. Stop talking about when they might be leaving and start talking about their contributions today. Highlighting the work should change the lens through which others look at them. We are all leaving but, until we do, focus on the contributions today. - Dr. Lisa Toppin, Input to Action

4. Implement An Apprenticeship Framework
‍Retire-age employees have a wealth of experience that can be leveraged to mentor junior employees, making them more productive faster. Using the apprenticeship framework can bring structure to this effort and enhance the job satisfaction of both the senior employee and the mentee. This initiative also provides a high ROI for a company because it improves both employee retention and engagement. - Tan Moorthy, Revature

5. Offer Unpaid Sabbaticals For Work-Life Balance
‍Provide a program for unpaid time off and unpaid sabbaticals. This will let the retiree-age employees keep their jobs but still provide them the option to occasionally take more time off or spend the summer with their loved ones (as if they had retired). This is also a cost-effective mechanism for the employer to have senior individuals with deep knowledge and yet keep payroll costs low. - Amee Parekh, Stello Technologies

6. Utilize Senior Employees For Training And Knowledge Transfer
‍Foster team growth by asking retiree-aged employees to train, coach and/or mentor younger employees. Retiree-aged employees can have very diverse skill sets, and they can help impart that information as well as specific company or cultural information to others. They can share their experiences with others, which can help keep the knowledge in-house, contribute to the company in their current roles and help newer workers. - Erin ImHof, CertiK

7. Provide Education On Retirement Benefits And Planning
‍To help support retiree-age employees, HR leaders can provide education on retirement benefits such as Medicare and Social Security and share stories of how past retirees have developed fulfilling lives. By providing education on these complex government systems and showcasing the retired lives of previous coworkers, older workers may feel more ready when the time comes to end full-time employment. - Laci Loew

8. Offer Fully Remote Work Options
‍One best practice to support retiree-age employees who choose to stay on board is offering fully remote work opportunities. This flexibility allows them to maintain a healthy work-life balance while reducing commuting stress. Remote work can accommodate their personal needs, promote job satisfaction and provide financial stability without requiring the physical demands of an office environment. - Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations, Inc.

9. Invest In Upskilling And Reskilling
‍Research I’ve read shows that 54% of retiree-age employees desire upskilling or reskilling programs but feel overlooked regarding training and skills development programs. For the first time, HR leaders can deliver personalized learning efficiently at scale with AI-powered learning solutions. This ensures content is relevant and impactful and boosts personal growth and retention of high-value talent. - John Kannapell, CYPHER Learning

10. Establish A Clear Succession Plan
‍Have a clear succession plan in place. This ensures retiree-age employees can transition their knowledge and skills to the next generation while still feeling valued. By involving them in mentorship or advisory roles, you support their livelihood while preparing the organization for future success. - Ahva Sadeghi, Symba

11. Prioritize Flexibility In Roles And Schedules
‍Offer hybrid schedules, reduced hours, or consulting roles to keep retiree-age employees engaged. Invest in digital training to bridge tech gaps and create mentorship programs where they share expertise. Respect their contributions while adapting to their evolving needs. - CJ Eason, JobFairGiant.com

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