Workforce Diversity

3.1.3 Workforce Diversity

SMEs, as Australian’ largest employer group, the main aspect of workforce diversity need to be addressed is, a balanced workforce between aged population and younger workers. The main reason is, an increased aged population estimated will be double by 2050 globally, and this will expose SMEs to challenges such as skill shortage and changing customer base. Unlike many large organizations, which they already have advocated workforce diversity to achieve employment equality. Small organizations have fewer resources to maintain a stable human capital management process, more than that, a wrong perception on aged worker’s skill also became barrier to limit SMEs to benefit from skills of aged group workforce.

Although a positive aspect aroused, which is many Australian workers wish to retain their work longer now. However, accounting profession as a fast-evolving field, technology skills is regarded as fundamental skills expected from workers. A preference may appear on employment of younger accountants, because they are showing greater immersion of new technology. Oppositely, aged workers usually are perceived as lack of technology skills, this has resulted in SMEs feel reluctant to employee them. While, in fact, this perception is unlikely to be true. Australians aged worker 55-64 are the fastest growing users of information technology, the main reason is mature workers are be able to see the value of specific technology; then they are more likely to make effort on learning it. Other strengths of mature workers also can be found, such as, high personal skills, verbal skills and communication skills, those are the soft skills that accounting sector is seeking for from accountants. In addition, mature workers are seen to have valuable industry knowledge, and strong personal networks, those are hard for younger workers to match without many years working experience.

From the SME’s point of view, the implication of the skill shortage issue and...