Older Workers Need Not Apply

Qualified. Yes. Expensive? No.
Peter Cappelli, the director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School, is the author, with Bill Novelli, of a forthcoming book on managing older workers.

Nothing is really new about employers preferring to hire younger candidates. Experiments have shown that even when credentials are absolutely identical, employers much prefer the younger candidates.

There are no good reasons for this overall preference. Older workers perform better across the range of relevant performance indicators — better skills, especially interpersonal skills, better attendance, more conscientious, and so on.

While one might assume that older workers cost more, in truth any premiums that older workers receive are related to experience — which affects performance. And rather than simply assume that older workers will demand higher wages, the thing to do is present them with the offer and let them decide.

Supervisors worry about how to manage older subordinates: ‘How can I supervise someone who has more experience than I have?’

Even the issue of health care costs is largely a red herring: It’s irrelevant for employers that do not offer health benefits and less relevant for hiring older workers who have coverage already from programs like Medicare. While older workers use more health care, they also have fewer covered dependents, so total employer costs may not be so different.

The real reason employers seem to prefer younger candidates has to do with perceptions of supervisors who often worry about how manage older subordinates: How can I supervise someone who has more experience than I have, how do I motivate them when they are less concerned about the carrot of promotions or the stick of being fired? Managing older workers in fact doesn’t require rocket science, but it does require a more collaborative approach that respects their expertise and engages their interests.

You can read Mr. Cappelli's contribution as well as the contributions of several other experts here: http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/older-workers-nee...

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Comment by Bernadette Ferrer on June 24, 2009 at 6:46pm: Thank you for this reminder of a reality check.

Comment by Tomás Sutón Bola on May 28, 2009 at 12:30pm: Professionally, I have been very fortunate. No matter where I am, it appears that I can find consulting work in my field of Psychology/Counseling/Education. However, I chose to get out of the education work and officially retire near 65 years of age. However, I have always had two or more work situations going at the same time and in quitting one, I just put more time into another. Now, at 71 years of age, I am still doing evaluations for Juevenile Probation and various Adult Detention Centers around West Texas. In that I am fluent in English and Spanish, even at my age, if I wished to work at a j-o-b steadily, I am sure I could find one. The main reasons are that; first, I am well prepared professionally; second, I have much experience and am bilingual; third, there is a fair amount of "need" in some "nitch" areas, in which I can supply the service. Therefore, in my case, so much for "not hiring older workers!" However, I do tend to agree with the author, Peter Cappelli, that overall, hiring an older and more experienced worker (in accord with the employer's wage scale), is not likely to cost the employer more, because of more experience, likely better attendance, general knowledge & skills, etc.
However, in my line of work, I do not worry about the age factor, in that contractors do not care about age, but only are concerned for production of good service. Dr. Tomás Sutón Bola

Comment by Juan Carlos Infantino on May 16, 2009 at 8:23pm: In my country when you have more than 40 years, you are out of bussines.
Don t matter how many awards or experience youhave.
This disastern began in the 90 s.
(Sorry for my English)
But I think that we at this age have really a lot of skills and our vison is strongly accurate.

Comment by Miguel A Fernandez on May 13, 2009 at 1:33pm: I agree. Being older has several advantages. One has the time to establish a good reputation and a good network of friends which can be useful to secure jobs and be socially active.

The IT sector has been a great one to work because the demand has always been high. Unfortunately, only few IT expert areas remain so. That tells me that the rest of the job market is really hurting.

I suggest that working for less is not necessary because we are old; today’s economy is different to yesteryear’s. However, soon after you are in, companies realize the value of your experience and moving up is much easier, but you have to give companies a chance to verify your worth.

I am 67 years old.

Comment by Juan P. Diaz on May 8, 2009 at 1:46pm: No doubt that as you get older, your employment opportunities will definitely be negatively affected until they almost evaporate as you get into your 60's. Sadly, how many people in their 60's end up having to spend their retirement savings in order to survive until social security kicks in. How many we will never know. Others that still have their jobs have to, at times, put up with abusive supervisors....silently prostituting themselves by taking the abuse for the sake of remaining employed. We at times make or hear "smart" remarks about the museum pieces that are employed by Wallmart as Greeters. Well, right now with the global economic meltdown even those jobs are in demand and are highly coveted by older workers trying to survive.

Comment by juan Escoto on April 17, 2009 at 8:22am: From the Escoto's prespective I'dont want to work for corporate America I want to be corporate America

Comment by Juan Carlos Infantino on April 16, 2009 at 4:19pm: Mañana es mejor.
Trabajar en equipo , nos acerca a ese mañana ,cada dia.
Concernos puede valer la pena.
Juan Carlos

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