Older workers sought by employers
Survey finds older workers are finally being welcomed by employers, as age discrimination laws loom in October
There is finally some good news for older workers today. A survey released by
the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has revealed that
some 70 per cent of employers are ‘are actively seeking to recruit people aged
between 55 and pension age’.
And another 31 per cent are looking to recruit people who are already
entitled to a state pension.
The annual Recruitment, Retention and Turnover Survey of more than
800 private, public and voluntary sector organisations has found that employers
are gradually turning to older workers to fill skills gaps.
They are probably also aiming to comply with age discrimination laws due to
be introduced in October, which will make it illegal for employers to
discriminate on age grounds when recruiting, promoting or training staff.
The CIPD report’s author Nicola Monson said: ‘It is encouraging to see that
so many organisations are introducing age-diverse practices ahead of the new
regulations in October.
‘This enables employers to tap into the relatively unused talent pool of
older workers to overcome recruitment difficulties and help build an age diverse
workforce that can add real value to business, not just in terms of older
workers but all age groups.’
In spite of the recent rise in unemployment, the CIPD also found that
employers have continued to experience recruitment problems. More than eight out
of ten employers in the survey said a ‘lack of the necessary specialist skills’
was their biggest problem.