03/ 22/ 2005
by Charles R. McConnell
During the recruitment process, many businesses are overlooking their best potential employees: older workers. Many businesses that are hurting for help are constantly looking for experienced and reliable workers, but when an older worker brings these traits to the table, employers often will turn them away, citing some reason other than age for their refusal to hire the older candidate.
Age discrimination in employment is illegal, and age is not a legitimate consideration when making a hiring decision, except in a very limited number of instances. These rules were set into place by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and reinforced by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act passed in 1967 and additional amendments in 1986.
In their reluctance to seriously consider older individuals as a potential source of talent, some employers are indicating they believe they will not be able to do the same job as a younger person. This attitude constitutes age bias. Sometimes it can boil down to something as simple as a manager's unwillingness to take on workers older than themselves.
Older workers can offer valuable work experience that can substantially benefit employers.
Another factor to consider is some older workers do not always need or desire full-time work, so this labor pool is a good source of knowledgeable and capable part-time help. Take advantage of the opportunity to obtain expertise that you may need on a part-time basis. Many skilled professionals such as engineers and accountants can be productively utilized as consultants on a periodic basis.
Age should not be a factor in hiring. Rather, the principal criterion for employment should forever remain one's ability to do the job.
