It is a fact that in less than ten years' time, almost 40% of the UK labour force will be aged forty five or over. A fact which means that age discrimination is a luxury that companies can no longer afford. Demographics suggest that by the year 2010, 45 - 55 year olds will make up the largest portion of the working population. 

The arguments for recruiting more experienced senior workers are mounting:

• By recruiting from a bigger pool of talent, you will achieve a more dynamic and mixed-age workforce.
• You will tap into a richer seam of skills, experience and knowledge.
• Access to experience and proven skills.
• A workforce that matches more closely the profile of your customers.
• Surveys show that older workers have a better attendance record than younger workers.
• Older workers are more flexible in accepting change in occupation and earnings.
• Older workers are often more flexible and able to work part time.
• Recent research shows that more experienced senior workers are more appreciative of matters such as; work ethic, judgement, commitment to quality, low turnover, attendance and punctuality.

'Quite aside from their experience, older workers are more committed and reliable, have better customer-facing skills, understand business better, and take less short-term sickness absence. Moreover, with few younger workers to pick from in the future, organizations are going to have to become better employers of these older workers, more able to attract them for their benefits, and accommodate them for their needs.' 
(Excerpt from a recent UK report by the independent Institute for Employment Studies: The Fifties Revival, J. Kodz, B. Kersley, P. Bates. IES Report 359, 1999.)

Age discrimination in the workplace
Many more experienced senior workers, who are seeking employment are regularly discriminated against purely because of their age, without any consideration of their skills or experience. However the good news is that there are some employers out there who do not discriminate against the mature job applicant. These employers actively seek and encourage job applications from those who have a lot more to offer than just youth, mainly because they realise the value and benefits of employing more mature people. Unfortunately, they appear to be in the minority at present, and this is why we are working to promote age diversity to try and eliminate this prejudice from the workplace.

To ignore the vast pool of resources that the senior worker represents is not only wrong, but it is a waste of the nation’s skills and resources. It seems almost criminal, not to mention stupid when employers simply cast aside a whole wealth of experience, which isn’t gained overnight, but through the apprenticeship of life. A more experienced senior worker has so much to offer a potential employer, not just skills and experience, but reliability, punctuality and loyalty. They also tend to have more confidence, make better listeners and are more easily able to relate to customers on a level which suits the customer. Furthermore their experience is often the one single factor that enables them to be more pro-active and re-active in dealing with situations.

As for the myth that older workers are less computer literate and cannot deal with the new technology - balderdash! Who do these people think wrote the applications on which those they use to day were based? Computing in the workplace for the masses arrived in the early eighties and a great many of today's 'older workers' were involved in it. They often have skills and an appreciation of things that younger less experienced workers have no concept of let alone ability to deal with. For employers to adopt such a lame excuse would be very unwise, as a huge number of mature people are extremely adept at using computers.

Halting the spread of ageism in the workplace.
Recruitment Consultants can play a vital role in educating employers about the value of age diversity in the workplace, when they are recruiting for experienced people they need to appreciate the opportunity to encourage age diversity amongst their own staff and the employers on whose behalf they are working - to ignore more experienced senior workers is to fail to appreciate the benefits and values of an expanding resource, one which many recruiters and companies are now embracing. The good companies in the future will be the ones that don't let prejudice creep in when they are recruiting good men and women These are the companies who realise that there are serious business benefits to having an age diverse workforce. Potential benefits of age diversity can include increased profits, morale, productivity and retention, as well as a better company image and a wider range of skills.

LEGISLATION - European Commission Directive
The European Commission introduced a new directive in October 2000, which deals with several aspects of discrimination in employment including the issue of age discrimination. Although the EU has set the final date at 2006, where each signed up member state must have in place legislation which deals effectively with discrimination in employment. The new directive has set out a broad framework from which each government will formulate an effective piece of legislation aimed at outlawing discrimination in the workplace.

Until then it is up to the more reputable companies to promote age diversity. Employers who fail to acknowledge and accept more mature staff are missing out on a massive pool of resources, something which they literally cannot afford to do so any longer. The employment outlook is changing and whilst some companies still cling to outdated attitudes and prejudices, those that have embraced the concept of age diversity amongst their workforce are already reaping the benefits.