Aging in the workplace: insights from psychometric research at Cebir.

Does our effectiveness at work change as we age? At Cebir, we get this question regularly, both from HR teams and from candidates themselves. That’s why we make every effort to approach this topic thoroughly and scientifically based. Our many years of experience with psychometric research provides valuable insights that contribute to more honest and informed HR decisions.

What changes with age according to the professional literature?

Older workers on average achieve higher scores on aspects such as crystallized knowledge (language and subject knowledge), emotional stability, diligence, integrity and intrinsic motivation. These strengths are often underestimated but are a crucial advantage in many jobs.

In contrast, certain cognitive functions such as processing speed, working memory and fluent reasoning may decline somewhat with age. Importantly, however, these differences are averages and are by no means true for everyone. Moreover, they can often be compensated for by experience and strategic task use.

What does the research at Cebir say?

Our internal data confirm what international research has already shown. For example, older candidates at Cebir score higher on average on tests that appeal to crystallized knowledge, commercial acumen and managerial skills. On tests for processing speed or abstract reasoning, scores are slightly lower on average, but remain within the usual range of variation.

Compared to the standard deviation of a general norm group, the differences between age groups are moderate. That means: they are real, but not dramatic. In practice, individual differences are often much larger than age differences.

What does this mean for selection and development?

Psychometric tests make it possible to identify individual strengths and developmental points objectively and free of prejudice. Contrary to stereotypes such as “older candidates are slower,” our tests show that speed, learning ability and adaptability can be found even in older candidates.

For selection, we recommend putting together test packages carefully: tasks with high time pressure or emphasis on speed are not always relevant to the job and may have unintended negative effects. In contrast, adaptive tests – as developed at Cebir – offer a solution. These adjust the difficulty of the test to the candidate’s level, and limit the influence of speed, leading to fairer results.

Career counseling and successful aging

Successful aging in the workplace means focusing on maintaining and developing motivation, knowledge and skills. One way to do this is through job crafting, where employees adapt their jobs to their strengths and interests. Coaching, task reallocation and collaboration between generations are also powerful means to keep senior talent permanently employed. There is generally no relationship between age and the effectiveness of core tasks at work.

In training, we see that older employees can be just as eager to learn as younger colleagues. Although the learning process is sometimes slower, the returns are often high, in part because these employees stay with their employers longer on average.

In conclusion: measuring is knowing

Age is not an appropriate measure of aptitude or potential. At Cebir, we believe in measuring based on competencies, not assumptions. Our psychometric tools are therefore aimed at making individual qualities visible and supporting HR teams in making honest, thoughtful decisions.

Want to know how Cebir can help you evaluate older employees objectively and with value as well?

Contact us and discover our proven approach.