Say no to Ageism week

Hopefully we’ll all get to be old someday.

At the start of last weeks “say no to ageism” week, Niall Crowley of the Equality Authority states that discrimination on the basis of age is the biggest area being dealt with by the Employment Equality Acts.
He states their survey showed 38% of people thought it “fair” to assert that older people were “set in their ways”.

I think this is a key issue. It’s unfair to stereotype any group of people in a particular way. After all, we all know both younger and older people who are very set in their ways, who refuse to learn. An older person who demonstrates great ability is Charlie Walker who received a level 3 FETAC award in Information Technology in his 80’s.

Employers are finding it more and more difficult to attract suitable employees. The Gartner Group report that as many as 60% of IT organisations will under perform due scarcity of staff.
Ciaran Williams in the Irish Times reports that DIY chain B&Q opened a new store which employed only over 50’s in Cheshire. (I know, reverse discrimination!) Results were profits were 18% higher than other stores, turnover was six times lower and absenteeism was 39% less. Customers were also happier as they appreciated the staff’s detailed knowledge.
So as employers start to see the benefits of employing older staff, hopefully we’ll see less ageism.

However until then, older people will have a tougher time marketing themselves.
What do you do if you suspect your age is working against you?

Firstly examine your CV.
Does it demonstrate
You are still willing to learn and continue to develop yourself
You can cope successfully with change
You are flexible rather than rigid
Your salary expectations. (Many employers think older people will be too expensive)

Find a recruitment agency which targets older people. For example Manpower Ireland have set up a new division specifically for people in the 50 plus age bracket.

If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, consider taking a job you are over qualified for, just to make that first step back into the workforce.

Many jobs are filled by networking. Look at your circle of friends and acquaintances and consider whether any of these are in a position to help you, by giving you a referral to a potential employer. For example if you know your bank manager fairly well, let them know you’re on the look out for your particular type of job, as they talk to other businesses all the time. I’ll come back to this topic as networking is becoming an increasingly vital skill.