LOOKING TO RECRUIT?

The DWP’s Age Action Alliance has produced an Employer Toolkit to help employers consider the skills, experience and attributes required to fullfil a role. Prime Candidate sit on the Central Government steering committee to support employers getting the right resources. Here we give a short excerpt from the toolkit that is free to access at the link below.

Recruitment

  • Place adverts where older workers will see them, i.e. www.primecanddiate.org.uk
  • Promote yourself as an age positive employer
  • Evaluate candidates according to values, behaviours, competencies demonstrated and their ability to do the job
  • Respect differences within the backgrounds and types of qualification which candidates possess

Why

  • Older workers have talent, experience and knowledge
  • Widening the pool of potential recruits can increase the quality and productivity of an organisation
  • As people from mixed-age backgrounds develop and mature together, this brings benefits to the organisation through recognition of different experiences and shared learning practices
  • Older workers are a growing demographic; they are your customers or service users, and soon a critical mass of the potential workforce. You cannot afford to ignore them

How

  • When advertising and broadcasting employment opportunities, take active steps to reach older jobseekers
  • Find and engage older workers through specialist sites

Advertising and promoting jobs

  • Consider why older people may not be applying for the jobs posted; although many will be on social media and job hunting sites, many others will notage diversity
  • Promote your company, its diversity and inclusiveness, to jobseekers, i.e. use the Champion Age Diversity mark
  • When advertising, say that you welcome applications from people of all ages
  • Hold recruitment agencies that you work with to the same standard

Evaluating and comparing candidates

  • Focus on whether the candidate has the right values and behaviours, can manage the competencies required, not whether they match the existing age-profile of the profession, or previous post-holder
  • Challenge unconscious bias and assumptions made
  • Do not assume knowledge of an individual’s health or fitness based on age
  • Do not assume knowledge of length of expected service
  • Respect and embrace differences

Click our Age Action Alliance members badge to access the Employer ToolkitChampion Age Diversity