Over the last 20 years, we’ve moved towards a throwaway society in more ways than one. The debate around plastic pollution, in my mind, also reflects the recruitment conundrum of many older workers looking for jobs.
Today, when we’ve finished with something, it’s simply taken away and “dealt with” with no remorse, no fuss and no thought as to what happens next.
In t’olden days, when I was a lass in Blackpool, you could top up your pocket money by taking bottles back to the local shop, claiming back the 10p deposit. Dutifully returned to the pop factory, the used bottles were then washed and refilled.
Before you start yelling at me that “times have moved on” – you can’t deny this was ultimate recycling, wasn’t it?
Just like our fixation with single-use plastic, employers often feel they need to recruit young blood because it’s ‘on trend’. No one is seen as a ‘keeper’ anymore, and that’s the sad reality of it.
“Set in their ways” and “slow to learn” are often terms used to describe older workers. However, scientists tell us that middle age is now closer to 60 – so why are we experiencing workers as young as 40 suffering from age discrimination?
If you’re looking to recruit in your company – evaluate candidates on their merits, rather than using age as a barrier.
Just to be clear, we’re not raising one age group above another, we’re simply saying look at a larger selection of society when it comes to candidate selection and give yourself a genuine choice.
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