Document sans titre
This summary briefly draws
together key findings from the research and their implications for policy.
Recruiting older workers
Drawing together the results of the qualitative and quantitative analysis, we
found that, overall, around half of all employers had implemented a formal policy
of equal opportunities in relation to age. The impact of such policies on day-to-day
recruitment practices is harder to assess, since less than two-fifths of employers
inthe Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) monitored their recruitment
outcomes for age discrimination.
¦ Survey analysis
findings indicate that a formal pro-age orientation is more common in large,
unionised workplaces. Use of teams in the workplace is also associated with
pro-age policies, possibly reflecting the benefits of age diversity in relation
to work styles, perspectives, skills and experience in close-knit working groups.
¦ There is a strong
gender dimension to the incidence of pro-age policies. Industries dominated
by men – manufacturing and transport – were among those least likely
to operate equal (age) opportunities policies with distinct implications for
the prospects of men as they age.
¦ Opportunities
for the recruitment of older workers are also constrained by the employment
relations strategies deployed in around one-fifth (21 per cent) of establishments
which operate internal labour markets, filling vacancies from within when possible.
Younger workers, at entry level, have a distinct advantage in these circumstances.
¦ The absence of
formal equal (age) opportunities is not necessarily a reflection of poor age-related
practice, however. Depth interviews with employers of various sizes in a wide
variety of industrial settings found that they recognised a range of benefits
associated with the recruitment of older workers including: loyalty, reliability,
time-keeping, numeracy, customer focus, customer matching and managerial/supervisory
skills. Most had recently recruited staff in the 50-plus age group, either because
they were age neutral, had a need for specific traditional skills more commonly
found among older workers or due to more general skills shortages which caused
employers to cast their net as widely as possible.
¦ The majority of
employers were familiar with the age discrimination legislation although they
varied considerably in the extent to which they understood the detail of it
and how proactive they had been. The small group of employers that only had
a vague knowledge, or were less engaged, tended to be newer companies with a
younger staff profile.
¦ Most had actively
engaged in some way with the legislation, either reading literature sent them
by head office or attending seminars run by ACAS or localsolicitors. Some felt
that they had been implementing age-positive policies before the legislation
was introduced, particularly the medium and larger employers with qualified
HR staff rather than directors with a HR role. They had taken on the ‘spirit
of the law’ and were involved in the ‘Employers Forum on Age’,
had incorporated discussions on age into their induction and training
programmes or produced leaflets on equality to raise awareness amongst staff.
For others, engagement was driven primarily by legal concerns.
¦ This positive
picture of employers readily recruiting older workers was counterbalanced by
a number of reservations expressed by employers. Firstly, where employers were
motivated to recruit from all age groups due to skills shortages, the prospect
that opportunities will retract for older workers arises during less buoyant
conditions. There is also a distinct risk of occupational
channelling when employers are pro-age primarily in order to match staff profiles
with their customer base. Some employers were also adamant that the physical
requirements of their operation precluded the recruitment of older workers.
There was also a sense from some employers that for older workers tobe recruited,
they must be notably better than average to stand a chance.
Flexibility and the older
worker
¦ The survey analysis identified a strategic approach to managing an
ageing workforce, defined by the number of pro-age policies an employerimplemented.
Strategic age management policies were more commonly associated with larger
organisations, a higher density of professional staff, unionised workplaces
and higher proportions of women in the workforce. The probability of an employer
actively pursuing strategic age management policies was significantly reduced
in workplaces with: a high density of blue-collar staff
or older workers aged 50 and over, and staff working in the hotels, restaurants
and construction sectors.
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