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Ageism in recruitment

Fiona

I want to ask what HR professionals really think about a company creating it EVP employee value proposition with the exclusive aim of attracting and retaining younger workers or creating an employer of choice package which works to retain them whilst not retaining the older workforce - do you think that having this as an explicit HRM policy and approach, overtly discussed, written about and planned for, is actually discriminatory? As a trainer of CIPD programmes for 30 years ive often come across research which talks about characteristics of younger and older workers and documents about X Y generations compared to the milleniells etc and I can udnerstand the need to consider succession planning in an ageing company workforce but to find HRM proactively using this to create barriers to our ageing population in tihe workforce, Seems too close to discrimination to me????  Id be grateful for any feedback! :-) 

  • in reply to Fiona

    the company has an ageing workforce with no real way to attract and retain 'younger workers' and so the succession is a real risk to them

    First, you need to tackle the assumption that the solution to an ageing workforce is younger workers.

    What is the average length of service at the company?  If it's more than five years, you're in a minority.  The modal average length of service of an employee is now around 3 years.  So if you're doing succession planning, it needs to start from the assumption that your successors are only going to be in place for 3 to (at best) 5 years.  Once you get your head around that idea, age immediately ceases to be a priority in recruitment terms.  In fact, a 50-year-old is far more likely, statistically, to give you 5-10 years service from an appointment, whilst a 20-something is more likely to stick around no more than 2 years.

    So check your assumptions, to start with.

    If, having done so, you find that it's not just length of service but, say, skills and attitudes that your leadership associates with "young people", then think about that.  If it's particular technical skills you're looking for, talk to local colleges or apprenticeship providers.  If it's attitudes, then define them and build a campaign around the attitudes, not the age.

    Meanwhile, if retention is a concern, look at culture, flexibility, appeal to women and minority groups (who are more likely to stay longer at an organization that treats them fairly) and the use of technology.

    We're coming out of lockdown with a better understanding than ever before of how much can be achieved without needing to be in the office every day or even every week.  This ought to encourage companies to throw a wider recruitment net by accommodating more remote and flexible working concepts, and more employees are going to be looking for such working.

    That said, we're also about to enter a time of record unemployment as hundreds, if not thousands, of companies make large sections of their workforces redundant as the government winds down the CJRS with no sign of an up-tick in many industries' earnings.  So you could be spoiled for choice and not have to worry about any of this.

  • Hi
    I work for a charity, we're in the final year of a programme of work to support the museums and heritage sector which is known for having an older workforce and volunteer pool. Our work has been helping young people understand the sector as well as organisations understand how to engage young people. I'm not sure what industry you're in but a similar approach might?