Hanging on to wisdom of the “old” : Important role for HR in retention strategies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on developments in Norwegian companies’ active ageing policies, and hence offer insight into what characterizes those Norwegian companies offering measures to retain their older workers. Design/methodology/approach The research questions are investigated using data from two surveys carried out among a representative sample of Norwegian companies in 2005 and 2010. The two data sets are analyzed both separately and jointly, being merged to obtain a pooled cross-section data set. Both multivariate logistic and linear regression are applied. Findings The proportion of companies in Norway offering retention measures, as well as the extensiveness of their retention efforts (the number of different measures offered), has increased considerably from 2005 to 2010. What characterizes these companies however are surprisingly similar in 2005 and 2010. Their retention efforts seem to be part of a holistic approach to active ageing. Offering a number of different retention measures is more common among companies having initiated “measures to facilitate lifelong learning” and “measures to prevent health problems or reduced work capacity”. Originality/value The employers’ perspective has received little attention in previous research and the authors are the first to report on developments in Norwegian companies’ retention efforts over time. Knowledge about what characterizes employers offering such measures will be important for future efforts to increase employments rates among older workers, which is an aim for most European countries.