Acing Age-Friendly Job Redesign

Business Case

ACES, a provider of aerospace component repair, overhaul and testing, is supported by a team of talents with specialised knowledge and skillsets. Such niche capabilities - many of which are learnt and sharpened on the job - make retaining workers with valuable experience a crucial contributor to business success. With 60% of its employees above the age of 40, the management took the initiative to review processes and equipment design to enable their ageing workforce to continue working as they approach retirement age. 

Featured Age Inclusive Programmes 

To retain niche technical expertise within the organisation, ACES practices:

• Fair Employment
• Re-employment
• Knowledge Transfer
• Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs)
•  Multi-Generational Workforce Management

Implementation 

To cater to an ageing workforce, ACES needed to change the way it worked. In 2015, the company embarked on its journey in job redesign. It took measures to refine its work environment, established age-friendly mindset and obtain the financial support it needed to help its age-friendly initiatives take flight. 

Tailoring the Work Environment for an Ageing Workforce

One of ACES' main job redesign initiatives were to redesign a task that involved embossing serial numbers on metal plates for aircraft components. It replaced manual embossing processes with a new laser-engraving machine to enable older workers to emboss tiny fonts on plates more accurately and efficiently. Today, the time taken to set up the embossing equipment and processes has decreased by 25%. 

Reinforcing a "Performance Over Age" Mindset 

ACES looks at each employee's merits rather than age by:

• establishing an age-friendly workplace mindset from the top, where managers are tasked to employ and assess candidates based on qualifications and experience alone;
• enrolling human resource representative in courses to sharpen their skills in managing a multi-generational workforce, fair employment practices and fair performance management; and
• creating mentorship opportunities for older workers to foster strong recognition of their expertise and strengths. 

Tapping Government Grants 

ACES has also utilised grants to create a better workplace for its older employees. For instance, it leveraged the Workforce Singapore's WorkPro Job Redesign Grant which helps companies offset some of the costs of creating physically easier, safer and smarter jobs for employees aged 50 years and older.

The company has also tapped the Enhanced Work-Life Grant to help in sustaining its FWAs. The FWAs enable employees with special personal circumstances such as health issues who require regular medical reviews to better their work and personal commitments. 

Outcomes 

Today, ACES' older workers continue to contribute effectively and with the productivity improvements, are able to coach their younger colleagues. The intergenerational cohesion has improved the workplace culture and brings about business benefits such as higher productivity. In fact, since the implementation of age-inclusive practices, product turnaround rate has gone up to 98%. 

Overall ACES' age-friendly practices have boosted the morale in the company. 

“Our older workers show a high level of maturity, have exemplary attendance records and exhibit commendable positive energy and enthusiasm that is a positive influence on their colleagues,” says Mr Brian Hunter, General Manager at ACES. 

“We've had so many positive experiences with older workers and will be more than glad to hire or re-hire mature workers when new positions open up,” he adds.