Ageism in Hiring Is a Growing Concern for Older Workers

Young graduates are having a hard time finding employment, but matters aren’t any easier for older workers either. Ageism in hiring has always been a problem, however, older workers are increasingly worried about the obstacles in their way to finding work. A recent study by CWI Labs found that 59% of workers aged 50 or older believe their age has created roadblocks in their job hunt. 

There are many challenges that older workers face while trying to find a new job despite their years of experience within an industry. While in the past, these workers were revered experts at their craft, modernization and the constant evolution of every industry have made it harder for them to receive the same kind of support from their communities. 

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Rampant Ageism in Hiring Creates Multiple Obstructions for Older Workers

Over the last few years, the job market has been unstable for everyone, including workers both old and young. The pervasive issues of furloughs and layoffs have put employees in a tough spot, and while one might assume that older, more experienced workers have been able to hold on to their jobs, organizations have been ruthless in sizing down their workforces.

New, inexperienced hires are an obvious choice for organizations that want to let go of employees, but older workers face just as much of a risk of being let go.

If the number of open roles and the active hiring rates were sufficient for the workers to find employment again, this would not pose a serious issue, however, that does not appear to be the case. Workers are struggling to find new job opportunities. 

According to the survey, 81% of older workers believe that employers want younger applicants, with 59% of older workers seeing their age act as a hiring obstacle for them. Over 46% of workers state that they’ve been stuck hunting for a job for at least a year but only 21% feel optimistic that they will find work in the next six months. 

With the amount of experience and insight that older workers have, they could be pivotal to an organization and its ability to transfer knowledge to new hires. However, with the rapid evolution of technology, now compounded by the arrival of AI, organizations are more likely to look for younger workers who are more up-to-date with the latest software and the most recent trends gripping the industry.

Why do Older Workers Face these Challenges?

The age discrimination prevalent in the job market is thriving for multiple reasons. The primary issue is that older workers are perceived as being unequipped with the skills needed to keep up with the organization. Instead of retraining and retaining these workers, organizations are likely to let them go. 

There is a common assumption that these workers are unwilling to learn new skills or change their ways. More senior workers are considered to be “stuck in their ways,” so employers prefer hiring younger, malleable candidates who appear more willing to adapt. Contrary to this belief, the CWI Labs survey found that 92% of workers over the age of 50 are keen to learn new professional skills and keep up with digital trends.

A job applicant’s rising age also acts as a hiring obstacle when it comes to matters of pay. Older experienced workers are used to a higher salary from their previous post, so when they move to a new organization, employers are expected to match their pay or make a higher offer. Organizations that don’t see value in acquiring their expertise lean towards hiring younger workers who come with lower pay expectations. 

There is also a common perception that older workers are unlikely to get along with an intergenerational workforce. The workforce has evolved to be a lot more firm about what behavior is and is not appropriate for the office space, but employers perceive older workers to be unfamiliar with these changes, and thus unprepared to work with others. 

This may be true in some cases, but organizations need to consider hiring on a case-by-case basis and give applicants a chance to prove themselves. Older workers who feel unwelcome by the workforce could perhaps consider retiring, but there is a long list of challenges that prevent them from heading in that direction as well. 

Age Is a Hiring Obstacle but Gen Z Is Also Struggling to Find Work

The ageism in hiring might suggest that only older workers are being impacted by the generalizations surrounding their age and abilities, but young graduates are also facing issues. The Gen Z population is largely independent, assertive, and vocal about their work preferences. While this is a good quality and allows them to seek opportunities that match their expectations, employers are not happy. 

Recent studies show that many employers who have hired Gen Z workers have fired them within a year, and a large number of them are reluctant to hire them again. They find the group to be unprofessional and unprepared for the workforce, struggling to meet the expectations of the employer. Universities are working to equip this cohort with the skills they need to build a career, but some of them are still woefully unprepared. 

There appears to be a central group of millennials who are unaffected by the problem of ageism in the workplace, but this faulty system needs to be addressed. As long as older job seekers are left in the lurch with no perspectives, organizations will find themselves further unprepared to support the young, incoming workforce that will eventually make up the primary hiring pool. 

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