Not everyone wants to be the boss. Not everyone wants to keep climbing. Some people — good, experienced, valuable people — just want to do their job well, contribute what they know and go home.
Corporate America has never quite figured out what to do with these workers. Especially when they reach age 50.
The perfectly named company, 55/Redefined, has.
Carol Jackson, director of the Americas for the Age Friendly Institute, a 55/Redefined company, said it’s all about changing perceptions and expectations — that companies put on their employees.
“We assume that if you’re not climbing that corporate ladder, then you’re a failure at your job,” she said.
“There’s often little support for what we call ‘squiggly careers.’ We tend to assume that career progression only moves upward. If you were once a people leader, for example, there’s often an expectation that you can’t step back into an individual contributor role.”
The type is easy to define — and may describe you or a co-worker:
- The former people leader who’d rather go back to doing the work than managing the people who do it;
- The veteran employee who has seen every corporate trend come and go and just wants to be useful;
- The 57-year-old who is very good at their job and has absolutely no interest in being anyone’s vice president.
They’re not failures. They’re not past their prime. They’re assets — and 55/Redefined is finally making that case.
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The organization is anything but niche — 55/Redefined is a global operation in more than 20 countries that offers consultation, training, and certification programs for companies looking to build what it calls a multigenerational workforce.
Its Age Friendly Institute, acquired earlier this year, certifies employers who meet a rigorous standard for age-inclusive practices.
The certification isn’t easy. It requires answering 45 questions across 12 categories covering everything from recruitment and training to benefits, flexible work options and workforce demographics.
More than 250 employers worldwide have earned it. New Jersey has nearly 15, and some of the state’s biggest names are on the list: Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck and Parker Health, which received its certification in March.
Not every sector has rushed to sign up. Tech companies, which have long had a thing for recruiting early-career talent, are among the least likely to pursue certification.
The Age Friendly Institute also provides resources, educational content, age-inclusion training, and virtual workshops for certified employers.
Their work goes beyond certification and employer training. The “Me Redefined” program helps people assess their options, build new skills and plan for the future.
“Tackling the challenge earlier and making people more adept to change is key,” Jackson said.
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The organization isn’t just looking to support companies already addressing the aging workforce challenge — 55/Redefined is trying to change the culture and conversation around age and foster stronger cross-generational workplaces.
Jackson said she is connecting younger workers with Certified Age Friendly Employer members through podcasts and other initiatives to talk about their experiences in the workplace. She recognizes today’s workforce often has different expectations from previous generations.
“Many younger workers value flexibility, project-based work and career mobility,” she said. “They don’t necessarily expect to stay with one company for 35 years.”
Much of that stems from changing retirement benefits, such as the decline of traditional pensions and the fear that social security may not even be available in 35 years.
Jackson highlighted a reverse mentoring program run by Humana, another Certified Age Friendly Employer. While veteran employees share institutional knowledge and customer expertise, newer employees contribute fresh perspectives and insights into emerging technologies, social media platforms and evolving workplace trends such as TikTok and AI.
The goal, ultimately, isn’t just to protect older workers. It’s to build workplaces where experience is valued, squiggly careers are celebrated, and nobody gets pushed out the door just because they’ve stopped reaching for the next rung on the ladder.
Some people just want to do their job well, contribute what they know, and go home.
That may just be what more companies need.
