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Our youth-focussed world overlooks the talent and experience of older workers, but right now we need them more than ever before<\/h5>\n

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\nNot long before Covid kicked off, I spent some time with a very amiable pension advisor who kindly pulled together several pensions I have during my unremarkable but transient career. I\u2019ll be honest: the whole process bored me rigid; I did nothing with his advice, though five years later and at 53, I get those days when it all seems a bit too much, and I threaten to pick up the phone to him again and work out exactly the best time to retire. What does the future, if any, in the industry hold for those coming towards the latter stages of their career?<\/p>\n

This landscape is pretty familiar to me \u2013 for 13 years in heading up small consultancy businesses, I\u2019ve been trawling the market, ready to pounce on folk my age and older to do assignments. Now, I\u2019m in that territory myself, and it\u2019s made me reflective, mainly as the transport industry, in particular, is at a crossroads \u2013 enormous challenges ahead, franchising in bus and \u2018nationalisation\u2019 planned for the rail sector. If ever there was a time to persuade those approaching retirement age not to call it a day, it\u2019s now, but a lot depends on the optics. It\u2019s not fashionable to admit to looking back and wanting to benefit from the wisdom of those who have seen and done it in previous eras. Surely those at the helm of our sector can\u2019t be so short-sighted and shut the door on those approaching their twilight years just because it\u2019s not cool to do so? We shall see.<\/p>\n

In my time hanging around with so-called old timers, I\u2019ve been overwhelmed by many \u2013 their energy, work rate, sincerity and uncomplicated approach, and having no scruples to shed the status they enjoyed in the corporate world and politely take orders from clients<\/p>\n

In my time hanging around with so-called old timers, I\u2019ve been overwhelmed by many \u2013 their energy, work rate, sincerity and uncomplicated approach, and having no scruples to shed the status they enjoyed in the corporate world and politely take orders from clients. These same individuals tend to work not because they need the money but more to keep their minds active to remain relevant and contribute to an industry they adore. Despite their age, they go out of their way to gen up on latest trends and approaches, dream up new innovative approaches and research the sector. They aren\u2019t prepared to rest on their laurels or their past, but realise it\u2019s about being progressive and in touch with market needs. It\u2019s been a privilege to work with these folk.<\/p>\n

At the opposite end of the spectrum, I\u2019ve watched some formerly senior bigwigs flounder on leaving their cosetted corporate environment, where they were fawned upon by their large teams and surrounded by bag carriers and executive assistants. I\u2019ve seen, albeit with a little sense of tittering mirth, struggle to come to terms with situations where they have to write their own reports, master the art of PowerPoint slides and take orders from a junior manager barely out of their twenties. These same people also have an exalted opinion of their financial worth \u2013 baulking at day rates below \u00a31,000 and seldom, if ever, contemplating whether a client can genuinely afford them or if they provide value for money. They then expect to get paid reasonably instantly or spend an assignment chasing more work or providing reports so superficial and littered with errors you wouldn\u2019t let them anywhere near presenting to the client.<\/p>\n

For those who don\u2019t necessarily want to get their hands dirty, a non-executive director role holds more appeal. Again, I have seen some utterly brilliant NEDs, but also be careful of someone who tells you that they want to do something \u201cmore strategic, benefiting youth with my experience\u201d \u2013 which, for me is code for laziness, interjecting and probing to feel superior and relevant but not taking accountability. Sometimes, I question the value that non-executives bring to the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It sounds like I\u2019m not making a particularly compelling case for the widespread use of former corporate bigwigs intent on semi-retirement or a spell out of the hot seats. My musings above are generally rare, but they are red flags. That\u2019s why \u2013 dare I say it \u2013 employing a contracting consultancy, such as that run by yours truly (!), is always worthwhile as we have years of experience.<\/p>\n

I genuinely believe that, more than ever, the industry needs old-timer consultants<\/p>\n

Looking forward, I genuinely believe that, more than ever, the industry needs old-timer consultants. Bus franchising and rail restructuring are complex, and they need objective, fresh-thinking from those detached from the rigours of the \u2018day job\u2019 and internal corporate politics. In particular, they need very detailed knowledge of local, regional, and national market trends over a lengthy period of time and of the various nuances, as well as what worked and didn\u2019t work in previous eras.<\/p>\n

The older I get the more dumbfounded I am at how many folk can\u2019t relate to key events that have shaped the history of our sector, but then I realise that it\u2019s hardly surprising given that the vast majority of those in the industry either weren\u2019t alive at the time or were too young to remember! That\u2019s old age for you! I spoke at a Network Rail Strategy Team Awayday a few months ago, and only three hands in 120 went up when I asked who was around at the time of privatisation. The same hands stayed up and joined by no others when I enquired who was on the scene when Hatfield and the subsequent gauge corner cracking occurred, and then by the time we talked about the demise of Railtrack and creation of Network Rail only two more piped up. Four more were around when the Strategic Rail Authority shut its doors for good, and many hadn\u2019t even heard of this organisation. Incredible.<\/p>\n

We shouldn\u2019t underestimate the value of consultants nor neglect them. Many are sole traders, and a few struggle to sales pitch, relying on consultancies such as my own, which is fine. Coming from a sector where let\u2019s be honest, genuine commercial roles are more scarce than in other industries, there are few folks with a background in sales, and the concept of \u2018bringing home the bacon\u2019 to generate income for themselves is alien for most. The transport consultancy sector could benefit from some kind of industry body, where consultants can network with each other, maybe benefit from back-office support services, as well as receive training and development. Consultancy can be a lonely place.<\/p>\n

The industry also doesn\u2019t help consultants, and as I\u2019ve said before, they are often treated like something caught on the back of a shoe<\/p>\n

The industry also doesn\u2019t help consultants, and as I\u2019ve said before, they are often treated like something caught on the back of a shoe. It can be an absolute minefield trying to navigate IR35 employment legislation and procurement processes, including completing onerous policies to become an approved supplier, getting Purchase Orders, or understanding how to be paid. Invoices occasionally get ignored or, in some exceptional cases, you can be treated with disdain for chasing. Work is often completed and the fruits of the labour take over six months to enjoy, so payment can be slow.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, companies don\u2019t make it easy for themselves to get value out of consultants. Assignments can be embarked on and then priorities shift, clients lose interest, people move on and sometimes reports aren\u2019t read or acted on. The best jobs are those when the client is with you every step of the way, engaging meaningfully, challenging positively and acting with conviction to address recommendations and keep consultants on standby should they require further assistance. When there are clients that are apathetic, I wonder if they realise how fortunate they are to be working with a consultant who was literally a household name back in the day and with such a wealth of experience?<\/p>\n

This comes back to my original point around the role of those approaching or at retirement age at a time of deep and profound structural change within public transport. The paucity of rounded figureheads and senior leaders is something I have lamented in previous articles, partly brought about because of the more fragmented nature of the sector in the past two decades. This has reduced the scale, scope and diversity of opportunities for those at the top to garner the experience of their predecessors. The more templated, constrained nature of the rail industry, with its micro-management from the regulatory bodies and within the owning groups hasn\u2019t helped. So too, the demise of proper development programmes and succession planning (HR departments, once again, have, with some exceptions, been underwhelming) has also been a factor.<\/p>\n

All this means that those hugely experienced folk in semi-retirement\/consultancy roles now are a scarcer commodity and should be valued highly. Their scarcity is also partly because \u2013 and this sounds anecdotal as no survey has, to my mind, been produced \u2013 more talent has been drained from the industry at an earlier age than in previous eras. This is partly because of a disillusionment with big businesses being so fixated on youth, such that many middle-aged folk no longer feel valued and are pushed out or seek to leave earlier in their career than previous generations would have done. The \u2018compromise agreement\u2019 culture, as a quick way of exiting folk when their face doesn\u2019t fit or during circumstances such as franchises changing hands, means many are in a position, from a financial perspective, to take full or partial retirement earlier or perhaps they\u2019ve been so affected by their exit that they don\u2019t want to work in the corporate world again.<\/p>\n

Where\u2019s this all leading, and why is it relevant right now? I believe that we are at a watershed point with the looming structural challenges in bus and rail, coupled with the need to somewhat reinvent ourselves to keep abreast of societal changes affecting demand for public transport. The latter might lazily cause decision-makers to feel that those leaders associated with \u2018yesteryear\u2019 cannot contribute in terms of helping plan for the future in a markedly different landscape to that which existed in their pomp and prime. However, with experience comes an ability to take a reflective step back, a strategic overview and objective view, gathering research to form a picture and best inform those setting policy going forward. In terms of setting strategy, they will be able to point to success and mistakes made in the past \u2013 some of which they may have been culpable of presiding over themselves, but in doing so, they can describe and relate to the pain and consequences more authentically and with the greatest impact.<\/p>\n

The industry has some big decisions to make very soon, so why wouldn\u2019t it involve the widest range of expertise, irrespective of age?<\/p>\n

The industry has some big decisions to make very soon, so why wouldn\u2019t it involve the widest range of expertise, irrespective of age? I seem to recall the Strategic Rail Authority recruiting many talented 50- and 60-somethings as employees and consultants as it sought to transform the sector, recognising the value they could bring \u2013 maybe GBR will do the same, too?<\/p>\n

Finally, I have a wish for the sector as we embark on the journey to come: respect those approaching or at retirement age. It makes me wince to see how disingenuously and loosely the term \u2018dinosaur\u2019 is used to chide elder colleagues\u2014often, you only need to name someone, and just because they might be male and over 55, the term \u2018he\u2019s a dinosaur\u2019 is used. The disrespect towards experienced consultants makes me despair.<\/p>\n

For now, my overriding request is that the industry, in its desire to be seen to be dynamic, diverse, innovative and forward-thinking, doesn\u2019t lose sight of its own experienced baby boomers and beyond that still have a massive contribution to make. They might not make glamourous headlines or be a marketer\u2019s dream, but the industry needs all the help it can get right now and can\u2019t afford to turn its nose up at us old-timers. The stakes are too high, and besides, the thought of trying again to fathom out how pensions work is, in my case, too tedious and complex a task to contemplate. It\u2019s simpler to carry on working and making a nuisance of myself to the younger generation if anyone will have me!\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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\nABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alex Warner<\/strong> has over 30 years\u2019 experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector. He is co-founder of recruitment business Lost Group and transport consultancy AJW Experience Group (which includes Great Scenic Journeys). He is also chair of West Midlands Grand Rail Collaboration and chair of Surrey FA.<\/p>\n

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\nThis story appears inside the latest issue of\u00a0Passenger Transport<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The post Don\u2019t dismiss the \u2018dinosaurs\u2019<\/a> first appeared on Passenger Transport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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