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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