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      Ageism in Recruitment: Why We Need to Change the Way We Think

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      While both older and younger generations have suffered the effects of ageism in the workplace, those that sit within older age groups seem to have borne the brunt of this harmful way of thinking in recent years.
      The ageism trend has only been accelerated by the repercussions of Covid-19. After the pandemic, Baby Boomers and a significant portion of Gen X took early retirement, deciding against returning to full-time work due to the shortage of opportunities available to them.
      With individuals over 50 leaving work due to lack of support having been identified as the biggest cause for labour shortage across the UK, ageism has the potential to have a detrimental impact that extends far beyond the damage to individuals and businesses.
      The issues with recruitment in the UK
      Hiring managers’ bias towards employing older individuals has been known to be one of the main causes of ageism within recruitment, and with only 24% of HR leaders between the ages of 25 and 30 saying they felt motivated to recruit workers in the 55 to 75 age category, younger generations’ preconceptions seem to be one of the main problems.
      The new generations’ bias is causing them to miss out on the plethora of benefits that working hand-in-hand with people of different ages can have, but also contributing to existing issues within the recruitment industry.
      The recruitment crisis is still rampant in the UK, as the number of unfilled positions has risen to a new record of 1,300,000 between March and May 2022, up from 1.295,000 in the February and April quarter.
      And retention is a problem too, with figures revealing that around 994,000 individuals moved jobs between January and March 2022 in the UK. This shows that businesses are not putting enough effort into retaining their workforce, making them feel valued and presenting them with a path for future progression.
      Additionally, if we are only willing to offer employment to the younger generations, older age groups will naturally feel there are no longer any opportunities available to them, opting for early retirement instead, which is likely to cause the recruitment crisis to become worse in the next few years.
      Why are current recruitment practices not working?
      The implications of ageist hiring practices are multi-faceted, but their effects have undoubtedly been felt by many job seekers within older age groups.
      A research project investigating ageism in recruitment in the UK revealed that around 30% of individuals between the ages of 50 and 69 felt the application process itself put them at a disadvantage because of their age, while around 23% of those who participated said that it is the way that job adverts are written and marketed that is particularly problematic.
      These findings provide interesting food for thought for recruiters: biased screening processes and job descriptions could easily put off certain individuals from applying for a job, causing businesses to lose a potentially perfect candidate. For instance, hiring processes that are entirely digital or that require the use technology older individuals may not be familiar with would naturally penalise older applicants.
      Evaluating the efficacy of their recruitment practices should be the first step for hiring managers and talent acquisition teams, particularly establishing whether these include any elements or processes that would ostracise certain individuals.
      What’s the answer?
      If an organisation has built teams predominantly comprising younger individuals, they should consider asking themselves whether they have – consciously or subconsciously – avoided hiring those within older age groups, and why.
      While having three or four different generations within the workplace may potentially lead to some minor generational clashes, it also has the potential to be beneficial for all age groups, which is why businesses should empower individuals of different ages to work together.
      This should involve utilising behavioural science to identify key traits in individuals to establish whether they will be able to work well together, regardless of age. Knowing exactly how workers collaborate with other individuals, manage stress or react to change are all factors that can help hiring managers make the right decisions and avoid age bias.
      Hiring managers should first and foremost establish what individuals’ abilities are, how they behave in different situations and what sets them in motion. While there is no one answer for every business, our focus should be on making hiring practices as inclusive as possible, which starts with making decisions based on data and focusing on skills and qualities that truly matter.
      Ultimately, biased hiring practices are exacerbating the labour shortage and causing businesses to miss out on a huge portion of talented workers capable of really making a difference.
      By David Bernard, founder and CEO of behavioural assessment firm AssessFirst.
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      Building Employer Brand at a Manufacturing Brand

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      Ball Corporation is a leading figure in the aluminum manufacturing industry: It manufactures 50% of aluminum cans in North America, along with household products and aerospace technology. However, it hasn’t released a new customer-facing product in 25 years.
      That’s changing with the launch of its new, infinitely recyclable aluminum cup. This new product offers an alternative to the plastic cup and can be recycled as you would an aluminum can. The company’s hope is that consumers will reuse the cups when refilling their drinks, reducing plastic waste.
      Leading employer brand through these historic changes is Heidi Myers, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Ball. Myers and her team have embraced this spike in visibility as an opportunity to frame the brand as part of something bigger. This framing, Myers hopes, will attract the next generation of great talent to Ball.
      Putting the Brand on the Map
      Ball’s product launch coincides with another monumental event for its brand visibility: It’s just received the naming rights to a sports arena (formerly the Pepsi Center) in Denver, Colorado, where Ball is headquartered. The move is part of a partnership with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and another outgrowth of Ball’s sustainability efforts.
      Ball Arena’s presence in Denver is a huge step for brand awareness. Myers and her team see a tremendous opportunity to cultivate name recognition during home games and other events and sharpen their competitive edge as an employer.
      A Spike in Visibility Leads to a Spike in Growth
      What has all this headline-grabbing change done for Ball’s growth? A lot: The company is experiencing a 200% growth increase in North America alone and recently opened three new manufacturing plants. Ball’s team now encompasses roughly 18,000 employees around the globe.
      This rapid expansion poses some exciting challenges for Myers and the talent acquisition team. New plant openings mean attracting talent to locations where Ball hasn’t recruited before. The secret to keeping pace with all this growth, according to Myers, is activation. “Don’t underestimate activation,” she says. “Any resources you can dedicate to it, do it.”
      Myers recognizes the central role that employer brand and talent acquisition play in Ball’s future as an innovative, rewarding employer: “Talent acquisition is the backbone of an organization. Without good people, your organization is not going to grow.”

      To follow Heidi Myers’s work in employer brand, connect with her on LinkedIn. For help gathering data and insights you can act on to improve your own company, get in touch.
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      2022 State of Software Engineers: UK and Cross-Border Trends

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      KEY TAKEAWAYS

      Top issues and trends for software engineers Most in-demand skills and rolesSalary data for software engineers in the UK and nearby European countries

      About this Report

      At Hired, our mission is to surface the best tech talent anywhere to help you fill your open roles and progress on DEI goals. But how?Our platform expanded beyond traditional tech markets this spring to include actively-engaged, curated talent around the world.We partnered with HR global marketplace leaders like Remote and Oyster, to help employers take the next step after surfacing talent on our platform. These partners help guide employers with specifics on workplace and hiring protocol, as well as HR compliance in payroll and other tasks.Based on our annual State of Software Engineers report, this content focuses on software engineers in the UK, as well as France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. With data shared from our partner, Oyster, we bring new insights to recruiters and employers seeking to expand talent teams in these areas.Containing loads of resources for attracting and hiring remote tech talent, this content also helps you navigate global recruitment and personalise your strategy for various regions.Are you a software engineer in the United Kingdom interested in a new role? If so, we have a lot of information for you too! We share the top countries eager to hire UK tech talent. We also dive into where remote demand is accelerating the fastest and average salaries. More

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      The Future Workforce: How to Attract Gen Z Talent

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      By the year 2030, the number of Gen Z employees globally is expected to triple, meaning that those born between 1995 and 2015 will soon make up as much as 30 percent of the workforce worldwide.
      With increasing numbers of Gen Z joining the workforce, it is inevitable that they will play a vital role in shaping the world of work for decades to come. But the question remains around how this generation will change the fabric of workplaces – as this cohort will bring their own vision of what the new world of work should look like.
      LinkedIn data shows that those early in their careers are changing jobs nearly 40 percent more than last year, at more than double the rate of millennials. Just under three-quarters of these career starters attribute this to a career awakening, primarily brought about by the pandemic – with many reporting feeling bored, wanting a job that better aligns with their values, and craving a better work-life balance.
      This leaves employers and recruiters with a new challenge: how can they attract and retain this younger generation of workers in an increasingly competitive labor market?
      Gen Z wants flexibility, not necessarily remote
      It’s clear that to attract Gen Z talent, recruiters will need to understand what matters to them. The pandemic has clearly taught us that flexibility at work is not just a daydream – it’s an expectation. According to our data, Gen Z is the generation most likely to have left – or considered leaving – a job because their employer didn’t offer a feasible flexible work policy (72%), compared to 69% of millennials, 53% of Gen X, and 59% of boomers.
      But this doesn’t necessarily mean that career starters wish to be remote all of the time. Our research of 4,000 Gen Z (18–25-year-old) career starters in the UK, US, France, and Germany suggests that the vast majority (70%) want access to an office, preferring either a mix of office and remote working, or being in the office full-time, compared to just being fully remote.
      For recruiters, the key takeaway here is the importance of flexible working arrangements. That means recognizing the realities of people’s personal situations, including that they may not have an ideal set-up to work from home full-time. Offering flexibility isn’t just essential in attracting and retaining Gen Z talent, but it also represents a huge opportunity to make workplaces fairer, more inclusive, and more equitable. For example, our recent report found greater workplace flexibility could help open up new employment opportunities for 1.3 million people in the UK with disabilities, caring responsibilities, and those based in rural locations.
      Create a culture of continuous learning
      People aren’t just rethinking when, or where they work. But also why. Our recent Workplace Learning Report found that 76% of Gen Z employees cite learning as the key to a successful career. Our data also suggests that two-fifths would be willing to accept a pay cut of up to 5% of their salary for a role that offers better career growth.
      To attract Gen Z talent, companies can promote a culture of continuous learning and highlight the opportunities they’ll provide for career growth. Whether you’re facilitating mentorship opportunities or providing access to learning courses, all of these steps will go a long way to attracting and retaining those at the earliest stages of their careers.
      Remove the barriers of experience inflation
      Recruiters have a crucial role to play in helping their clients to advertise entry-level job roles appropriately. If you’re hiring at the entry-level, you need to ensure that your job postings are reflective of the level of experience career starters will have under their belt.
      Our data found that nearly a third of Gen Z job seekers say that the biggest hindrance they face is not knowing where to start. This is because more often than not, organizations label positions requiring three-plus years of experience as entry-level. This experience inflation is locking top talent out of applying for roles that they perceive themselves to be underqualified for. For example, based on our analysis of LinkedIn data from nearly 4 million jobs posted between December 2017 and August 2021, we found that employers required a minimum of three years of relevant work experience on 35% of their entry-level postings.
      It may seem advantageous to have experienced employees coming in at the entry-level, but companies could end up losing out on top talent in the long term. With Gen Z candidates becoming increasingly selective about the roles they apply for, it’s more important than ever for recruiters to be well-versed in an organization’s purpose, culture, and what makes it stand out. Job postings will not only need to reflect entry-level skills and organizational values, but they will also need to take a skills-based approach to ensure potential candidates aren’t being locked out of these opportunities.
      By Adam Hawkins, Head of Search and Staffing EMEA & LATAM, LinkedIn.
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      What’s the Deal with Web 3.0 & How Does it Affect Tech Talent?

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      If you’re in tech, you can’t avoid frequent mentions of Web 3.0. From 2021’s $69m NFT sale to the Dogecoin hype cycle created by Elon Musk and the famed Los Angeles Staples Center becoming the Crypto.com arena, crypto went mass market and with it, Web 3.0. Web 3.0 is the infrastructure, or more specifically the […] More

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      Want to Boost Response Rates? Use Your UVP in Strategic Recruitment Messaging

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      What You’ll Learn How to leverage the factors that make your company special and develop your employer UVP Insight into market trends and competitive offers Actionable ideas for employer brand marketing About this eBook: When you strengthen your employer brand, it strengthens your overall brand as well. Your marketing team may have spent a lot […] More