Not retiring: Does more need to be done to help older workers into jobs?

Lost your job and finding it hard to get another? Redundancies have been rising in the last few months and we know that older workers find it harder to get a job when they have lost one. Our surveys show that many attribute this to ageism. An article this week suggests that the job search process that we have at the moment, which is reliant on job platforms such as Indeed, is not serving older workers well.

In the article Lucy Standing of Brave Starts blames a lack of transparency about whether a job is live or not and a lack of professionalism and a largely unchecked use of AI in recruitment. She says: “Zero regulation of the recruitment industry means that there is no requirement for people to be replied to, given feedback or informed about the management of their application. AI is being utilised within the sector with little guidance or safeguards other than those self-imposed. Being ‘ghosted’, ignored or rejected (after four seconds of ‘careful consideration’) feels to many like a poor return on their time investment. For older workers, the barriers are even greater.” This is very true. And too often I hear howls of frustration from older people that AI processes are not designed with them in mind.

Standing argues that all of this is leading to older workers shunning traditional job application processes in favour of crafting their own jobs using their networks. It is true that ‘using your networks’ is a route suggested by many experts. But what if you can’t afford to gradually build up your job of choice? There is still definitely a role for employers making the recruitment process easier for older workers rather than putting all the onus on individuals.

Giving up on the whole thing feels like giving into ageism, even if progress in countering it is frustratingly slow. While some employers do get the need to do outreach, for others it is still just a nice to have. They have bigger worries on their mind, including about their own jobs. Job vacancies are falling on job sites and currently many recruitment sites are struggling because of a combination of the economic situation, uncertainty about the Government’s employment law proposals and rapid technological change. It’s hard to keep up and to predict what happens next.

What Standing’s article does show is that handing everything over to AI is very short-sighted. Even if it saves money in the short term, does it ensure employers have the best mix of staff to serve their customer base in the longer term? If employers take the cheaper route, which is likely amid the current uncertainty, should Government step in? While there seems to be little money available, growth is at the core of the Government’s economic policy. That means making the most of everyone’s potential – from returners to those who need reskilling and confidence boosting. It also means a whole lot of other things, such as flexible working [particularly for those who have caring responsibilities or are recovering from or living with illnesses/mental health conditions] and better care support. All of this has to come together as part of an overall vision. AI can help, but it is just a tool. Recruitment is about people. Always.

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