I thought of something for a moment. What is everyone doing from the point where they finish school to retirement? You guessed it right, work. This is the truth. If you don't work, you can't really live properly. For many companies, a person older than 50 (or even 45) is not as valuable as a young person.
Take a look at the different job postings on all job search platforms. You will see that all of these postings are looking for young people. As a result of this, our "seniors" (I really want to emphasize the quotes here) are, unfortunately, in many cases trapped in what is called permanent unemployment.
In this article, you'll discover all the reasons for rejecting older people. We will not say whether these are true or false. However, we will take a deep look at these. Do companies take into account the possible psychological consequences of this constant unemployment situation? I guess they'd rather avoid these. This will be our topic today.
The first thing I will do is ask a series of questions. Do people over the age of 40 or 50 have a lower capacity to do a good job? Their age; Does it mean that they lost their ability to work, learn or recover? Do they know less about the field in which they work their entire life? Or just lost their ability to be effective and effective? Does this mean that they are no longer responsible individuals?
You've probably said "no" to most of these questions. And you are right. Except for specific situations (such as certain jobs that require strength and physical agility), people in their 40s and 50s are of course capable of doing a good job.
However, companies seem to have many reasons not to hire them. In the most recent Adecco Foundation survey, 200 human resources professionals were asked about their reasons for not hiring older people. Let's take a look at their explanations.
It is not easy to move out because of their family responsibilities.
An old person looks worse. A young person adds a fresh, innovative, and flexible feel to the company. 75% think that hiring people in their 40s and 50s is worse, because these people may miss work days more often due to health problems.
66% believe these people will find it difficult to fit into a young work team. He also thinks they wouldn't accept being led by a younger person. Or 40% think they will be less flexible when it comes to a new position because of their age.
25% say that the knowledge and skills of these people do not meet the needs of the age. According to them, the knowledge of people above this age is out of date. In addition, “old people” are often reluctant to acquire new information or put in place new procedures.
They don't accept low salaries (that's because of their experience) and companies want to reduce their spending. This is the most common belief.
Are These Irrational Beliefs?
One of the most common cognitive biases in these beliefs is generalization, or over-generalization. Of course, most profiles with 25 years of experience will not accept the same salary as someone with two years' experience. This makes perfect sense. However, there will be other people willing to accept it out of desperation or conformism. So why not ask them before we assume they're going to refuse salary?
The same goes for the aforementioned state of the past. Many people probably did not continue working because they learned everything at work. But many other experts enjoy taking lectures, attending conferences, or even other undergraduate and postgraduate degrees to find new knowledge.
Moreover, all professionals must learn to adapt to changes, especially if the progress of the company depends on it.
When it comes to family responsibilities, it is an exaggeration to think that all individuals at a certain age have family responsibilities that can hinder their work.
The same goes for thinking that all “older people” have medical problems that can affect their performance. It is true that over the years we have all become more vulnerable to disease. However, young people are also not exempt from experiencing such situations: what are we going to do with a teenager who smokes or someone with pre-existing or chronic health problems?
Let's look at the situation of "not being able to adapt to a young work team" from a different angle. What are we going to do with an older person who feels excited about being led by a young person, as he can benefit from their "freshness" and learn from them? Remember, we can all learn from each other.
To be honest, the young person can be intimidated. "There is nothing I can teach him," or "He was the director of a multinational company two years ago, how can I be his boss?" They are likely to experience thoughts such as. These thoughts are not unreasonable at all.
Think: "old people" are a living symbol of professionalism. Don't all companies want professional individuals? Perhaps all organizations should realize that it is more important to have a tolerant corporate image. It can be very helpful to show that they can combine profiles young and old.
However, all these beliefs are so established and widespread that resumes are eliminated from being read beyond the person's age. This got to a point where companies never thought about the benefits of hiring an older and more experienced profile. As a result of this, the constant unemployment situation we mentioned earlier has increased.
Permanent Unemployment: The Psychological Effects
People over the age of 50 represent 14.7% of the total number of unemployed people in Spain. The latest data from EAPS shows that six out of 10 unemployed people over the age of 55 have been in this situation for 12 months or more. What's more, according to the Adecco Foundation survey, 43% of unemployed people in this age group have not had a new job opportunity in more than four years.
Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has been rejected more than 300 times, has been unemployed for four years, and has a family (and school or college-age children) that needs to support, and the partner is in the same situation. This is basically a recipe for anxiety, right?
It's important to keep one thing in mind. If these emotional changes continue over a long period of time, they will begin to affect the person's daily life as well. In this case, the intervention of a mental health professional is important. They won't give you a "magic pill" that will fix all your problems. However, they will guide you through maintaining a healthy routine, ignoring those feelings of guilt and helplessness, and facing the situation in a healthier way.
Age-based discrimination (aging) is seen at the same level as gender or race-based discrimination. However, WHO also says that this is the most standardized form of discrimination.
This was probably something you were ignoring up to a moment ago, but it's true. Age-based discrimination is extremely common. Perhaps we should all be reminded that "old talents" are important. After all, it is these people who guide and teach young people when they are new to the world of work.
Perhaps something would be a little different if we saw each person as they are (as an individual) and not as a profile full of data. Companies, get yourself. You're wasting talents. Let's put an end to this constant unemployment problem!
