For decades now, many organisations have treated career progression as a straight line – climb the ladder, reach the top, then step aside for the next generation. But as working lives now stretch well into our 70s – and even 80s – that model no longer fits the modern reality. By 2033, almost a third of over-70s are expected to still be working. The challenge for businesses isn’t how to manage an ageing workforce – it’s how to unlock capability across every age.
The End of the Career Clock
Korn Ferry’s recent Workforce research revealed a clear mismatch between how long people are working and how often they’re allowed to learn. Nearly half of baby boomers and more than a third of Generation X said that they had been excluded from opportunities to learn new skills or technology. That gap risks becoming one of the biggest talent blind spots of our time, particularly with the rapid growth of AI agents in our workplaces.
As Michael Kienle, global VP of talent acquisition at L’Oréal, put it: “Talent management stops at your very last day in the company. It’s not a question of age, it’s about skills and competencies.”
That shift in mindset – from chronology to capability – should be redefining how leading organisations think about work, growth, and opportunity.
Skills Don’t Expire – They Evolve
Too often, mid- and late-career employees are treated as “finished products.” But as Zoe Cunningham from technology consultancy Softwire argued, “experience isn’t a ceiling – it’s an asset”. Her team has seen how younger engineers teach new coding frameworks, while seasoned professionals teach client management and problem-solving.
“That’s what a healthy culture looks like,” she said. “Skills don’t expire, but they do need updating. The mindset of curiosity is what keeps people relevant.”
This idea — lifelong, bidirectional learning — is what will keep organisations innovative as they grow older. It replaces one-way knowledge transfer with collaboration and mutual growth.
The Skills-First Revolution
Mastercard has fully embraced this approach. Its Unlocked platform acts as an internal marketplace where employees post their skills and interests, then match with mentors, projects, or learning opportunities.
Lucrecia Borgonovo, the company’s Chief Talent & Organisational Effectiveness Officer, explained: “We’re taking a more skills-first approach versus focusing on traditional parameters like degrees or years of experience. That helps democratise access to opportunities.”
By making skills, not seniority, the foundation for advancement, Mastercard is showing how capability-led cultures attract, retain, and empower people of all generations.
Redefining Career Paths for Longer Lives
At L’Oréal, this thinking extends into practical programs like L’Oréal for All Generations, which pairs reverse mentoring in AI and digital skills with senior-to-junior coaching. The company has also created pre-retirement seminars and flexible role transitions to help people redefine what “later career” looks like.
Michael Kienle called this the “dual-edged sword” of longevity – people are working longer, but organisations must ensure that doesn’t block younger talent. The answer lies in fluid career pathways, where people can move sideways, up, or even reinvent themselves entirely.
It’s Never Too Late to Start Again
Perhaps the most inspiring examples featured in the research are people like Kim Aitchison Kim Aitchison, who re-entered the workforce in her late fifties after nearly 30 years away. With support from the Career Returners programme, she joined the Bank of England, relearned digital tools, and now mentors younger colleagues.
“A young colleague teaches me technology, and I help her with confidence in meetings. It’s mutually beneficial,” she says.
Her story captures the essence of the new work era: age isn’t an obstacle — it’s experience waiting to be applied in new ways.
The Bottom Line
As technology evolves and people live longer, capability is becoming the new currency of work. The companies that thrive won’t be those that chase youth, but those that cultivate curiosity, learning, and flexibility across every life stage.
All HR and Talent leaders should take onboard the words of L’Oréal’s Michael Kienle: “It’s not about how old you are. It’s about how ready you are to keep growing.”
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