Why women 50+ - especially during the menopause - strengthen your company. Everyone wants to grow old - but there is often a one-sided image on the labor market: Only young people should be successful. This is a fatal error! Women 50+ not only have years of experience, but also heart, courage and unshakeable steadfastness.
They are not a "discontinued commodity", but an unbeatable potential that is still often overlooked.
I was recently struck by Maren Kroymann's sharp satire: "Is she still good?" - and I felt the blood pulsing in my veins. It was immediately clear that it was about more than just facts and figures. It's about the true value of women who are in the middle of life and have the courage to persevere even in turbulent times!
And surprise! Shortly afterwards, I received a request for an interview on this topic. It's about women over 50, their expertise and the menopause. Women over 50 offer real added value in society and especially in companies.
Experience instead of obsolescence
In a society in which older people are often sidelined, women in the menopause experience a double blow: their enormous expertise, their social skills and their accumulated experience are dismissed as if midlife is the end of their career. Yet this way of thinking costs companies hard cash - especially in times of skills shortages!
According to the Institute for Employment Research, up to one million older female employees could be reactivated in Germany alone. The Bertelsmann Foundation predicts that a further 1.5 million older workers could be recruited by 2035. However, instead of utilizing this potential, women 50+ are often discarded.
Menopause: both a challenge and an opportunity
The menopause is often accompanied by symptoms such as hot flushes, sleep disorders, mood swings and exhaustion. These changes are often misinterpreted and interpreted as a drop in performance - but there is also enormous strength in this phase:
- Resilience: you have learned to master physical and emotional challenges.
- Concentration: Despite changes, the focus remains on professional tasks.
- Social skills: empathy and conflict resolution skills make them ideal team players and leaders.
I have experienced it myself: in a management role in a workshop for people with disabilities, I deliberately chose highly trained women and experienced mothers as group supervisors. These women, who had already mastered countless challenges, proved that their soft skills - coordination, flexibility and social intelligence - were worth far more than superficial clichés. Their skills very often saved the day - time and time again! But instead of generally recognizing these qualities, women are often underestimated.
How to use their full potential - with heart and mind
It is up to you to make your company future-proof. Take measures that focus on the special needs and strengths of women during the menopause:
- Flexible working models and home office: create a working environment that respects individual life rhythms. Let your female employees decide when and where they can develop their full potential.
- Targeted health and wellness programs: Invest in offerings that specifically address the challenges of menopause - from stress management to relaxation programs. Show that you care about the well-being of your female employees!
- Individual training and coaching: Offer tailor-made training courses that not only strengthen professional but also personal skills. Let your experienced women show you how they can emerge stronger from any crisis.
- An appreciative corporate culture: Promote an open communication culture in which feedback is given at eye level. When your female employees feel seen and respected, they burst with energy and passion.
- Mentoring programs and networks: Facilitate intergenerational exchange. Let experienced women pass on their knowledge and wisdom to younger colleagues - this will help your company grow into a real success story!
Conclusion: see menopause as an opportunity
The German economy cannot afford to miss out on the unbeatable potential of women 50+. These women, who not only struggle during the menopause but also develop and flourish wonderfully, are the key to sustainable success. With all their experience, resilience, loyalty and social skills, they make the difference - in times of crisis as well as in times of upswing.
It is high time to discard outdated ways of thinking and actively invest in this unique resource. In times of skills shortages, doing nothing is not an option. Show courage, focus on diversity and let women 50+ shine in your company - because it is precisely these women who guarantee sustainable, future-proof success!
Seize the opportunity to redefine your corporate culture - with heart, passion and the unwavering will to get the best out of everyone!
