Experiences of older workers and employers in the use of digital technologies for enhancing employability in later life

Objective: Aging is a phenomenon that concerns all aspects of society and brings about a significant demographic transformation. This demographic shift also implies a situation in which older individuals tend to remain in the workforce for longer periods. However, with the rapid advancement of technology, the business world has become increasingly digitalized. As a result, digital technology competencies have emerged as critical determinants not only in the recruitment processes but also in job performance. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the role of digital technologies in the employability process from the perspectives of employers and older employees. Method: The role of digital technologies in the employability process refers to a multifaceted situation for the stakeholders of the labour force. For this reason, in order to understand this situation created by digital technologies for the stakeholders of the workforce, case study design from qualitative research methods was deemed appropriate. In the research, 13 participants were selected by a simple random sampling method, which is one of the purposeful sampling types. The thematic analysis method was used in the analysis of the research data and themes were created by explaining what role digital technologies play in the employment process with MaxQDA 2018 Pro Analysis program. Results: The role of digital technologies in the process of employability is explained as three main themes: selectivity in employment, supporting lifelong learning and the process of integration into digital transformation. Conclusion: For employers, digital technologies create an inequality-based barrier to the re-engagement of older workers in the labour market. On the other hand, for older individuals who have passed the process of finding a job and are actively working, being in constant contact with digital technology supports lifelong learning processes. In addition, ensuring the integration of older individuals within the enterprise reveals that it may be possible with digital training. Key words: older age labour force, digital technology, employability, case study