Age UK and REC partner to combat age discrimination in the job market

With four-in-10 unemployed older workers out of work for more than a year, charity Age UK and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) have joined forces to launch a best practices protocol that aims to end age discrimination in recruitment and give older people a better chance of finding work.

The guide sets out a series of recommendations that are intended to ensure older jobseekers are not overlooked during the recruitment process and are given equal opportunities to find work.

The UK’s workforce is ageing: between 2012 and 2022, there will be an additional 3.7 million people aged between 50 and the State Pension age; which, when coupled with the trend of increasing numbers of people working beyond State Pension age, means there will be far more older workers active in the UK’s job market.

The ‘Age Opportunity’ best practice guide calls on recruiters to commit to promoting the strong business case for hiring older workers and help clients and employers appreciate the many benefits that experienced and skilled workers can bring to organisations.

Notwithstanding the existing law against age discrimination, age can still be a consideration during the recruitment process. Some employers still request a maximum age for candidates and use negative stereotypes of older workers to make hiring decisions.

Pensions Minister Ros Altmann commented: “I am delighted to see the recruitment industry helping its members to better overcome age discriminatory practices. It is in the interests of both employers and the economy to ensure older job applicants are not overlooked, as they have a wealth of experience and valuable skills that benefit businesses.”

“Ensuring mature applicants are considered on their merits rather than written off is vital, especially in our ageing population. People are not ‘old’ in their fifties and sixties, nor indeed necessarily at ages beyond that either. I hope employers will remain open-minded to recruiting and training older staff, as well as considering flexible working.”

The new guide:

• explains how recruiters can help employers look beyond stereotypes and that there are no reasons for older workers to be less productive than their younger counterparts.
• asks recruiters to designate an internal advocate for older people who can defend their skills and experience to businesses
• cautions against potentially discriminatory language in job adverts (words like “energetic” or “vibrant” which can be interpreted as code for younger workers).
• calls on the industry to use a range of platforms to advertise jobs so that some older people who do not use social media are not excluded from opportunities.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, added: “Too many skilled and massively experienced older workers are being written off simply because they are incorrectly considered to be past their prime. It is a terrible waste of so much talent which could be an enormous boon to business and the UK economy.”

“We are living longer with many of us in better health than ever before so it’s not surprising that more of us want to continue to work in fulfilling roles for as long as we want and feel able to.

“I hope this new code of conduct will mean we stamp out age discrimination in the recruitment process once and for all so that those who want to work are given a fair chance in the jobs market.”

The latest figures from REC’s job survey show that 98% of employers say they have no extra capacity in their workforce and will need to take on more employees if they are to take on more work. Six-in-10 (62%) say they plan to hire more permanent workers in the next three months and 97% say they will maintain or increase the use of flexible or temporary workers over the next quarter to tackle skills shortages.

Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation stated: “There is an enormous skills crisis looming. The UK is suffering from skills shortages across the economy and at the same time businesses say they can’t take on more work without more staff.”

“Older workers have a huge amount of experience, skill and knowledge to offer organisations. To encourage older people to stay in the labour market employers need to be more effective at attracting and retaining older workers. That’s why we are so passionate about working with Age UK on this important initiative.”

“Simple things like changes to the language used in job descriptions and where roles are advertised could be significant. We want hirers to work alongside specialist recruiters who understand the benefits that older workers can bring, and who can help tailor job roles to meet their needs. Together we can rid the labour market of outdated prejudice and create a fairer and more productive economy,” he concluded.

- See more at: http://www.staffingindustry.com/eng/Research-Publications/Daily-News/UK-REC-partners-with-Age-UK-to-fight-age-discrimination-in-the-job-market-34310#sthash.LM1xyFxd.dpuf

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