Our Director of HR Joshua Field shares why at Pilgrims’ Friend Society we’re committed to welcoming people of all ages to our teams, including those who are aged 50 and over

As an organisation that has supporting older Christians at its heart, we’re very in tune with the value of age and experience. Our openness to recruiting those who are older to our workforce is in many ways an outflow of this. We are a values-based recruiter and so we’ll consider what people bring in terms of their mindset over and above qualifications and work experience alone.

We know that employees who are further on in years bring a wealth of life experience. This often means that they can relate to the older people living in our homes very well. They can also be a great support to younger members of our staff teams. A diverse workforce makes for a stronger workforce.

Out of the 630 people we employ as an organisation, 295 (47%) are aged 50 and above. Of this number, 149 work in caring roles. As well as being a very rewarding role, for many a role in care works well with their stage in life as something they can fit around other commitments such as looking after grandchildren.

From a pragmatic point of view, the older age demographic is not one we can afford to ignore. According to the latest figures from Skills for Care, there are currently 152,000 vacancies in the social care sector. To meet this need, we have to be open to employing those who are older.

If you are older and considering a new move, why not come and work for us? You’ll find a role where you’ll make difference every day, be fulfilled and be working in an environment where you are valued. To see our current vacancies, visit www.pilgrimsfriend.org.uk/jobs