Take age out of hiring equation

While millions of people of all ages lost jobs in the past several years, many would argue that older workers have borne the brunt of the economic downturn.

Unable to afford retirement after the market meltdown, many baby boomers have been forced to keep working. As companies begin to rebuild, older candidates find themselves vying for jobs against younger, less-expensive talent. The job market remains fiercely competitive and many older workers with years of experience remain unemployed or underemployed.

Engage a group of boomers in a discussion about their job search and the conversation will very quickly turn to the topic of age. When experienced candidates don’t hear back from employers, much less get the chance to interview, they assume they are being screened out unfairly. If companies are looking for skills and qualifications, how can someone who meets or exceeds the listed job requirements not even get called?

“Let’s be honest. Age discrimination is out there,” according to Greg Churchman, a former HR consultant and current staffing manager with OtterBox. “But, it’s out there for twenty-somethings as well. It all comes down to business needs. I may have a real need to hire a very experienced candidate who can hit the ground running. Or, perhaps a number of employees are nearing retirement and the goal is to build up my bench with younger talent.”

Fit drives hiring decisions

Many elements drive recruitment decisions. Determining the “best fit” has much to do with company cultures, budgets, values, balancing the talent mix of existing teams, and a whole slew of other considerations that are difficult, if not impossible, to list on a posting.

While some recruiters may be screening out candidates based on age, the vast majority are just trying to find the right person for the job. It is often the case that the “right person” turns out to be someone with little or no experience.

“When screening resumes, I am not focusing on age,” Churchman added. “I am looking to see if a candidate matches what the hiring manager is looking for. Very rarely will ‘years of experience’ stop me from presenting a resume even if the hiring manager’s initial request called for someone with less experience. But this can lead to tough decisions. Hiring managers may worry that an overqualified candidate will get bored in the position or that they will leave for more money if a new opportunity comes along.”

Attitude check

How can older workers present themselves effectively in a fiercely competitive job market? First, check your attitude. If you believe that no one will hire you because of your age, it is highly likely that this will become your reality. A chip on the shoulder is quite unbecoming, and it repels rather than attracts people to you. Exude positivity.

There is so much job search advice available it can be hard to know which recommendations to follow. For instance, older workers are often counseled to create functional resumes. Skill-based or functional resumes are used when a job searcher wants to cover up a spotty employment history or transition previous experience to a new field or position. Mature workers may use functional resumes to avoid appearing too qualified, too expensive, or too old.

The problem is that the vast majority of HR professionals and recruiters simply don’t like functional resumes. They tend to beg more questions than they answer about a candidate’s background. This alone should be reason enough to stick with a chronological resume. For most positions, a two-page chronological resume that includes the past 10 to 15 years of experience is sufficient.

“I want to see where you have worked and what your specific accomplishments were in each position,” Churchman said. “What you did 20 years ago is irrelevant. I want to understand what you have been doing lately.”

Churchman also cautions against falsification. “Don’t omit pertinent details such as your actual level of education. A comprehensive background check could uncover this information.”

It may be easier to assume we are being screened out based on age than face the more daunting possibility that we are not presenting ourselves well to potential employers.

Network, network, network

Churchman offers one final piece of advice.

“Just like all of us, older workers need to continuously build and nurture their networks,” he said. “When we serve others and generously share ideas and information, others will be much more likely to reach out and give us a hand up when we need it. It is through our networks that we are likely to discover our next opportunities.”

By all means, seek legal counsel if you truly feel you have been discriminated against based on your age. Otherwise, commit to taking a fresh look at how you are approaching your job search. Recruiters are being bombarded with resumes, but finding candidates with the right blend of skills, qualifications and level of experience for a particular position continues to be challenging. Recruiters and job searchers alike need to keep age out of the hiring equation. When age remains an irrelevant variable, everyone involved can focus on identifying the “best fit” for any given position.

Carrie Pinsky also writes the Career Enthusiast blog at Northern Colorado Business Report at www.ncbr.com.

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