Cathie Ramey
RedwoodAge.com
If you're over 40 and looking for a job, you've probably experienced ageism up close and personal.
But don't despair. There are lots of employers who value experience, including seven that have been named the "best employers for job-seekers over 40" in a survey conducted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
The study, sponsored by the website Jobs4.0, surveyed large and small companies that employ more than a quarter-million workers. It found 41 percent of them plan to hire more seasoned workers this year. This is good news in a struggling economy, where older workers are often thrown into long-term unemployment.
"Older job seekers desperately want to find employers that will not view their age and experience as something to be avoided. Ageism in hiring remains prevalent in too many places, and this survey will help point older job seekers-not only retiring baby boomers, but all workers 40 and above-in the right direction," said Steven J. Greenberg of Jobs4.0, a site that focuses on the over-40 workforce.
The most age-friendly workers identified in the survey were: Yale-New Haven Hospital, The Harford, Princeton University, PNC Bank, Southeast Corporate Federal Credit Union, Compuware and the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Ageism All Around
Older workers have a hard time finding employers who will hire them for several
reasons. Ageism is at the top of the list. Gerontologist Robert Butler, who
coined the term "ageism" in 1988, describes it as "the
denial of basic human rights of older persons."
In the workforce, ageism is often played out through companies’ hiring practices. Companies may cite higher insurance costs or higher salary demands as reasons to avoid hiring older workers in favor of younger candidates. Of those participating in the survey, more than a third admitted that fewer than 1 in 10 of their new employees were over 40.
Some employers believe older workers can't learn new skills or keep up with changing technology. While far from the truth, this perception impacts hiring decisions. Ten percent of age discrimination claims filed in 2004 were hiring related.
It has been shown that older workers perform in the workplace as well as their younger counterparts due to experience, the ability to work in teams, and the smarts to take on tasks that complement their best skills.
Graying Workforce
With the graying of American workers, however, the tide may be turning in favor
of the over-forty job seeker. With only 46 million younger employees available
to replace 77 million boomers preparing to leave the workplace, it becomes
increasingly important for American companies to embrace
older workers. This impending brain drain has companies scrambling to
create recruitment and retention practices in the hopes that some of their
older workers will stay on the job.
The most popular strategy is flextime, offered by nearly three-fourths of the companies that have alternative work practices in place. Next comes telecommuting and part-time hours offered by more than half of the companies looking to keep older workers on board.
And boomers want to work. Many are seeking a second career to help offset the high costs of retirement or to help pay for insurance plans.
Ironically, not all companies have gotten the message. Only 23 percent of the companies in the survey have implemented programs to attract and retain experienced employees. But another 41 percent plan to do so in the future. This is in comparison to 35 percent who have no recruitment and retention plans at all.
