Age diversity | Telekom Careers Blog
Successful together - at Telekom, every age counts
“Each and every one of us is getting a day older every day. That’s what connects us.” However, in many workplaces, there is still a stigma around the topic of age, says Susanne Fleig. Not only is ageism – discrimination based on age – widespread, often linked to questions like whether someone “really wants to make a change at that age.” Adultism is also an issue affecting younger colleagues: “They’re considered too young for the job, not yet able to take on responsibility.”
Birgit Bohle (left), Board Member for Human Resources and Legal Affairs and Susanne Fleig (right) advocate for dialogue and unity between generations at Telekom. © Deutsche Telekom Group
But that’s not the case at Telekom. For us, age is not a barrier, but an advantage: employees from all generations work together and benefit from one another.
That’s why our employees founded the internal “Better Together: Intergenerational Community”. This initiative breaks down prejudices and strengthens exchange between all age groups in the workplace. The goal is to create an environment where employees can develop their potential regardless of their age.
“At Telekom, at least three generations work together under one roof. This is a great opportunity and enrichment for every age,” says Susanne, the founder of the Intergenerational Community. Many studies also show that age-diverse teams are more successful. “Openness, curiosity, and the willingness to learn something new are independent of age,” she emphasizes. “If you’re 50, you still have 17 years until regular retirement.”
Moreover, “age” is not just an internal topic: it is becoming increasingly important socially as well, says Susanne. “Demographic change is just around the corner. We work in cross-departmental projects. One of these projects focuses on knowledge transfer. The goal is to demonstrate how knowledge transfer can succeed.” We at Telekom actively promote such intergenerational knowledge transfer as a role model. This includes all employees, from young colleagues to experienced experts.
As a responsible employer, we have a simple wish for the future: we want everyone to feel valued - regardless of age.
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Laura Heppelmann
Laura is a trainee in Corporate Communications at Deutsche Telekom. With a focus on storytelling, she tells topics internally and externally in an understandable, approachable and effective way. In this way, her content not only informs, but also touches people – and thus make a real contribution to the positioning of Deutsche Telekom.
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