Ageism in IT: Employers must change their ways

This column was written for silicon.com by the members of the 'Age Positive' campaign, which is run by the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK.

People work hard to obtain the skills and qualifications they need to compete in the job market. Yet many fall at the first hurdle in the application process - not because they don't have the right skills or abilities but simply because of their age.

However, with skills shortages hitting the IT sector, companies should be focused on recruiting the best person for the job. Saying an applicant is too old or too young can mean missing out on the best individual.

The UK's ageing baby-boomer generation is another reminder to the business community that it needs to take on board changing demographics or face potential problems in the future.

Legislation banning age discrimination at work will be brought into effect in the UK by October 2006. But why wait until then?

Sixty-year-old John Cook has a common story of age discrimination. He's had to cope with redundancy four times. Following an interview with a large IT consultancy, he was told he had all the right background knowledge and experience, but was outside their age range. Determined not to be defeated, Cook set up his own IT consultancy to address the skills shortage in the IT trade sector.

Despite this story and others like it, many employers have already realised the benefits of having an age-diverse workforce, including improved staff retention rates, higher staff morale and a wider range of skills and experience.

HBOS, for instance, has found its customers like to do business with workers in a wide range of ages. The bank now makes a point of using an extensive range of diverse images on recruitment advertisements to attract applications from all ages.

Because of the growing concern over this issue and the cost to the economy, the UK government has undertaken a campaign called 'Age Positive' to encourage employers to make decisions that do not discriminate against someone because of their age. The campaign has developed a guidebook for employers, Age Diversity at Work, A Practical Guide For Business, which covers good practice in employment from recruitment and selection through training and development and onto retirement.

It suggests employers should train and promote individuals based on ability rather than their age. And on job applications, employers should avoid age limits or ranges and avoid phrases such as 'young graduates', 'mature person' or 'according to age and experience'.

The guidebook can be found on the campaign website.

Many businesses have changed their hiring and employment practices based on the guidance. Among those firms surveyed by the Age Positive campaign, the number specifying age when hiring staff has halved from before they received the guidebook.

For example, at West Yorkshire Magistrates Courts Service, age is no longer referred to in any advertisement placed, neither is language used which might dissuade older applicants. And the application form has a detachable front sheet on which applicants complete personal details - which selection panels do not see.

The Leeds City Council IT department also does not refer to age in recruitment and continues to train workers as they get older. And, as a result of Barclays adjusting its business practices, it now employs more people over the age of 50 than under the age of 21.

Supermarket chain Somerfield offers another positive example of anti-ageist practices. The company has removed age limits from its work practices - and boasts a number of older employees. A 73-year-old manages the store's wages through a state-of-the-art computerised system. After trying early retirement, another older worker joined Somerfield as a personnel and training supervisor. And a 68-year-old tried retirement after working full-time, then returned part-time and is a whiz with the store's computerised ordering system.

It's time to stamp out the misguided and outdated attitude that people are past it after 50 or incapable of doing a responsible job when they are young. Skills, experience and competence should always be the determining factor - not age.

Editor's note: See our full coverage of ageism in IT. Have you been affected by ageism in the tech industry? Please email your stories to editorial@silicon.com