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Eight in ten (81%) older workers say their chances of securing a role have been lowered due to age
Age is the top factor thought to negatively impact career prospects, in terms of both securing a new role and accessing career progression opportunities, according to recent research conducted by Hays.
Hays’ annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report in partnership with FAIRER Consulting, with responses from over 5,700 employers and professionals across the UK, found that nearly two thirds (61%) of professionals feel their chances of being selected for a role have been lowered due to age.
Older workers struggling to secure roles
Over half (57%) of professionals say there have been occasions where they felt their chance of being selected for a job has been lowered because of an identifying characteristic - age was cited as the main factor, with six in ten (61%) professionals saying it was the reason their chances were limited.
Most (81%) professionals over the age of 50 say the main factor that has led to their chances of being selected for a job being lowered is age. In comparison, less than half (49%) of workers under 50 feel age has negatively impacted their chances of getting a job.
Ethnicity (35%) and gender (32%) were also cited as the other main factors professionals believe they were discriminated against during the hiring process.
Age affecting career progression
Similarly, more than half (56%) of professionals say there have been occasions where they felt their chances for career progression have been limited due to an identifying characteristic - age was mentioned as the top factor, with 58% of professionals citing it as the reason their chances were lowered.
The research reiterates that age bias is an ongoing challenge, as it was referenced by professionals as the top factor (50%) holding them back from career progression in 2019, followed by gender (35%) and ethnicity (34%).
Older workers feel the brunt of age discrimination most, as more than three quarters (77%) of professionals over 50 believe age is the factor that led to their prospects for career progression being limited, whereas less than half (47%) of workers under the age of 50 feel the same.
Anonymised recruitment could improve the situation
On a more positive note, organisations are more likely to have taken steps to mitigate bias in the hiring process compared to 2019. For instance, 72% say they use a structured interview process, compared to 66% in 2019 and 54% now provide unconscious bias training to hiring managers and interviewers, an uplift from 34% in 2019.
Nearly half (45%) of organisations have introduced anonymised recruitment into stages of the selection process to mitigate bias in decision making, versus less than a quarter (23%) in 2019. Over half (57%) of professionals feel anonymised recruitment would give them confidence they’d be fairly considered.
Dan Robertson, MD of FAIRER Consulting, comments: “It’s clear from our research that older workers feel pushed out of the workplace, demonstrating the ongoing need for an authentic commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), from the hiring process to the internal company culture.
Employers need to address where they are falling short and take tangible steps to integrate over 50s into their teams and to provide equal opportunities for career progression. Crucially, they ought to value the unique contribution, experience, ideas and perspectives that older workers bring to the table to truly reap the benefits of an intergenerational workforce.
Whilst we haven’t seen progress at a fast enough rate over the last five years, effective recruitment solutions to mitigate bias are a step in the right direction, to reassure workers they will be on a level playing field when it comes to being considered for a role and developing their careers.”
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About the research: The survey on which these findings are based was carried out between 22nd July and 12th August 2024 and received over 5,700 responses. The survey was completed by employers and professionals from across the UK and Ireland, working across a range of industry sectors and employed in various types and sizes of organisation in both the private and public sectors.
Contact Chloe May PR Executive chloe.may@hays.com
About Hays
Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional, and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany, and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As of 30 June 2024, the Group employed over 11,100 staff operating from 236 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2024:
