Disclaimer: this article is a translation from the original french piece published by Décision Achats.
In the face of a growing skills shortage and an aging workforce, one talent pool remains significantly underused: senior freelancers and consultants. For procurement departments, leveraging these highly experienced experts is no longer just a social responsibility issue, it is a strategic lever for performance, continuity, and compliance. This is the perspective shared by Mathilde Travert, Head of Sales at LittleBig Connection, in this exclusive opinion piece.
In France and across Europe, companies are facing a dual challenge when it comes to skills: unprecedented tension in the talent market and an aging workforce. In this context, freelancers and consultants over 50 represent a strategic asset that remains largely overlooked. Yet their contribution helps secure critical know-how, accelerate project delivery, and meet regulatory requirements related to intergenerational diversity. Procurement departments have a central role to play here: identifying, qualifying, and integrating these experts into their supplier panels to build a more sustainable and inclusive procurement strategy.
Why focus on +50 talents ?
In France, nearly one in three working adults is over 50 (INSEE). And yet, the employment rate for people aged 55–64 remains below the European average (56% in France versus 62% in the EU, Eurostat 2024). The trend is similar in the UK, where 49% of self-employed workers are over 50 (The Guardian, 2024). In the United States, 37% of freelancers are over 55 (AARP/EPI).
The data speaks for itself: senior professionals already represent a significant share of the independent workforce, a share that is set to grow as careers lengthen and combined work-and-retirement models expand.
Les seniors : un atout actionnable (facilement) pour les entreprises
Outdated profiles, hard to onboard, too expensive… preconceived ideas persist. Yet senior professionals represent a valuable asset. They bring stability, strategic perspective, and deep expertise. Their presence also strengthens intergenerational collaboration: combining junior and senior talent creates more resilient and more creative teams.
Beyond their experience, senior experts know how to adapt to new environments and become operational quickly. Their ability to be immediately hands-on makes them essential profiles to secure critical know-how, prevent operational gaps, and ensure business continuity.
Growing demand, especially in the industrial sector
In the market, demand is very real, particularly in sectors under strong pressure. The industrial sector, for example, is experiencing a significant loss of technical expertise. Clients are looking for experts who can be immediately operational, ensure continuity, and transfer their know-how.
This demand also applies to digital projects, engineering initiatives, and sustainable transformation programs, where deep, hands-on expertise becomes a true performance driver.
Legal obligations that strengthen corporate responsibility and the role of procurement
In France and across Europe, procurement teams can no longer overlook recent regulatory developments:
The “Full Employment” law (2023) requires companies to negotiate senior workforce plans and introduces a dedicated senior employment index.
The EU CSRD directive now obliges large companies to report on their social impacts, including practices related to the employment of senior workers.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), increasingly used as a criterion in supplier evaluations, encourages organizations to demonstrate intergenerational inclusion.
Failing to include senior profiles in supplier panels now means overlooking a social performance indicator that stakeholders are actively monitoring.
Strengthening supplier panels for professional services procurement
Including senior freelancers and consultants in procurement panels is not just a regulatory response or a way to secure operational continuity through immediately operational expertise. Turning to senior experts also brings new dynamism to panel management by revealing needs that traditional suppliers often fail to cover. In other words, it naturally broadens sourcing capabilities and strengthens the resilience of supplier panels.
A structured engagement framework, in France and across Europe
In France, the Landoy Charter encourages companies to promote the employment of workers over 50, including through independent work arrangements such as freelancing. It forms part of a broader movement supported by the EU Directive 2000/78/EC, which prohibits any age-based discrimination in access to employment — whether salaried or independent. Other frameworks, such as the European Pillar of Social Rights or national initiatives (e.g., Finland), actively promote active aging. Together, they provide clear guidance for building a more inclusive procurement policy aligned with societal expectations.
To remove operational barriers, several solutions already exist, including:
Umbrella contracting, which ensures social protection and contractual compliance.
Specialized marketplaces, which increase visibility for senior profiles.
Ultimately, senior freelancers and consultants should become a priority pillar in the procurement strategy for professional services. They are simultaneously a lever for operational performance, a risk-management tool, and a growing requirement for CSR compliance.
