Demand for older professionals has increased in Ukraine: in which areas and why there is a shortage of staff

Faced with a shortage of staff due to mass emigration and mobilization, Ukrainian banks have begun to actively recruit employees aged 50+, as they have extensive experience and are not subject to mobilization. To ensure successful integration of older employees, banks are creating special training programs and adapting workplaces.

This was reported by HR managers at a roundtable discussion held by the Financial Club. Kristina Feher, HR Director of OTP Bank, emphasized that many people aged 20-40 left Ukraine due to mass emigration.

This has created a significant vacuum in the banking sector's labor force. With young people leaving the country, banks are forced to look for new sources to replenish their talent pool. Older people have become one of these sources.

Olena Velyka, HR Director at Sense Bank, confirmed that the banking segment is currently going through a difficult time in terms of HR. Banks need to focus on retaining existing staff and look for new channels to attract employees. Sense Bank has placed great emphasis on attracting older candidates.

"And we decided to put a lot of emphasis on the older category. We became interested in the Lifelover project. This is a project for the 50-60+ category. Last week we invited 40 candidates aged 55+. We interviewed them for an hour. And it seems to me that this category is underestimated by us," Olena Velyka said. Many of these candidates have already received a job offer from the bank, and their level of expertise and motivation was higher than expected.

Older employees have a number of advantages that make them attractive to employers. These include extensive experience, high responsibility, loyalty to the employer, and willingness to learn and adapt. Olena Velyka said that during interviews, candidates often expressed a desire to hold not only the positions they had applied for, but also others, given their many years of experience in various fields.

In addition, employees aged 60+ have another significant advantage: they are not subject to mobilization. This is an important criterion in today's environment, when mobilization is one of the factors contributing to the shortage of personnel.

Labor market experts believe that hiring older employees is a reasonable step for Ukrainian banks. However, for the successful integration of this category of employees into the team, banks need to create appropriate conditions. This may include the development of special training and mentoring programs, adaptation of workplaces and work schedules.

As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, Ukrainian banks lost about 10% of their employees due to emigration, mobilization and other factors caused by the war. HR departments of banks face a lot of emotional stress due to problems with mobilization and booking of employees, trying to ensure their support and safety.

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