By silicon.com, 11 September 2006 17:00
How much of a problem is ageism in IT?
Over the past few years we've heard quite a lot from silicon.com readers on the topic. Some believe it's the old who are discriminated against; some say it's the young. Some argue it's a massive problem. Some say it's just a lot of noise created by a few vocal complainers.
Whatever one's view, the debate is now moving on. Starting on 1 October, new laws will make it illegal for companies to deny a job or promotion to anyone because of their age.
One might argue whether - if indeed there is a problem - legislation is the most effective way to handle it. But the laws certainly send a strong message to employers about how they must treat workers when hiring, firing and advertising jobs.
Given that, according to employment arbitration body Acas almost a quarter of companies specify maximum recruitment ages and many also use age to fix a starting salary, major chances are afoot.
Further readingÂ…
♦ Ageist employers warned over new laws
This publication's view is that a diverse workforce with people of all ages and experience is the best way forward - the young, the old and those in between all have something to offer. A 'monoculture' is no way to create the sort of creative ideas businesses need to thrive.
We want to know what you - our readers and members of the IT workforce - think of the new anti-ageism legislation and ageism in IT in general. How much of a problem is it? Will the new legislation help or hurt? Let us know by posting a Reader Comment below or emailing us at editorial@silicon.com.
Comments
There are 21 comments. Join the discussion
1. jsaltz
I think it is an abomination.
2. Stuart Vine
It's may be hard to generalise about ageism in IT because it is possibly sector specific. I would suggest that some areas, let's say gaming and media, may discriminate against older workers, while mainstream banking may value experience more highly.
Looks like a good area for a survey, or possibly a nice fat research grant.
3. Eric the Disillusioned
Big problem. Not just because of discrimination against older workers bein morally wrong but also because it shows up the lazy, self-righteous thinking of the recruitment agencies and internal HR staff. HR has become a job for those who cannot deliver and has done so by being totally undervalued by almost all companies.
If you think about it, multi-million dollar companies trust their future to recruitment companies who are not trusted by the older employee. Stop doing it. Start looking at the networking sites like linkedin instead. When the recruiters can market themselves properly to older workers (by getting them work!) then this model might work.
4. anonymous
When I don't put my age on my CV I get asked my age by recruitmnet agencies, then I hear nothing from them. Aged only 47 and over 29 years of technical IT experience - can I get a job NO - There should be a law against Ageism -
5. anonymous
I am a company bookkeeper but I have taught computing, run systems and worked with computers from the beginning. All this is on my CV
I cannot even get an interview with an IT company for an accounting post and I believe this is solely due to my age.
"How do you feel about working with someone younger than yourself" Hah!
6. anonymous
From the experience of friends and family the problem lies squarely with the recruitment agencies and will thus be very hard to root out or monitor. Direct application seems to be the only way for an older candidate to get an interview, let alone a job, but how many companies advertise directly these days? As far as sending a 40+ CV to a recruitment agent goes you might as well save the cost of the postage and bin it yourself. Can't see how the legislation will help either--just one more reason not to take on an older candidate.
7. Gary Thompson
Changing the law won't stop ageism in the same way that speed limits don't stop drivers speeding..
8. jsaltz
I think it is an abomination.
9. Father Time
So how many people over the age of 50 work at Silicon.com?
10. paul broome
Ageism is rife. Too young, too old these are the judgements of cretinous managers and agencies.
If you need your house re wired do you ask the spark " how old are you? No!
If he happened to tell you he was 55 plus you'd be delighted as you'd know he'd be highly experienced.
Electricians have to keep up to date with technology as just we do yet an older electrician is Positively(pun!) welcomed instead of shunned.
Paul B
11. anonymous
Agesim definitely exists; just look at the amount of companies that have made key personnel "redundant" at or around the onset of being 40. Six months later the job is re-advertised, maybe as a contract. Natural progression ensures that the forty year old is more expensive in salary and pension than someone more junior; most companies are cynical in IT and remove that overhead. I know I've been through the process myself. This subtle ageism is the true face of the IT industry and needs stamping out - I genuinely hope the legislation works. People should be valued and respected more, this (law) may bring back more of a two way relationship for the better.
12. anonymous
At 35 I first started having problems looking for analyst/programmer jobs - I was told quite plainly by a couple of companies that they wanted someone in their 20's
10 years later I am no longer in the industry, as employers appear to think that the lights go out at 40.
13. Malcolm
I'm over 50 and applied for a vacancy at SAGA. An ideal and relevant opportunity? Not a bit of it - I got shafted with a 'Dear John' just the same.
14. Mike Hart
I don't see this as an issue. More progressive sompanies will hire the best person for the job. Less progressive companies may discriminate. Natural selection then occurs in the form of commercial competition, and Darwin removes the companies that are ageist.
Contrast this with another form of discrimination. If you (as an employer) want to hire the very best person for the job, would you hire someone who is two months pregnant?
15. anonymous
It's not necessarily your age that you're discriminated against, it's what your age represents financially. Older workers demand higher salaries especially as they are working towards retirement. Employers keen to save shareholder's profits and keep the bottom line down see younger candidates more favourably primarily because they're cheap. I know of an MD who recruits graduates to fill skilled positions and when they ask for a raise the MD replies "why should I pay them more..? They're already doing the job...".
It would be nice to see a few high profile employers brought to book in public for age discrimination, but in reality this will never happen. There are many ways companies can evade employing people of a certain age, race, sex or creed and all these have been illegal for years.
The fact is if you're not in a management position by your 30's you're destined for the scrap heap when your job is outsourced to someone who is younger and will work for a third of your salary.
IT is a sunset industry, it's time we asked the question "what is there after IT?".
16. anonymous
I beg to to differ on your statement. The financial instiutions are the biggest offenders. They require the world and when you provide it. They down size their specs. Have fun/or pass on age based on the CV
17. Chris Stevens
I knew the writing was on the wall when one of the Managing Directors of the major international bank where I worked gave a presentation where he stated that one of the strengths of the IT team was "its youth". I was made "redundant" within a year.
Since then I learned never to put a Date of Birth on a CV, because you'd never even get a call back from the agency. I since applied to BT only to be turned down by the gateway Recruitment Agency, without referral to BT, because "my profile didn't match the jobs available". Sadly I happen to know the BT Director concerned, so I knew that the Recruitment Agent was lying.
18. kevin parker
Ageism in IT? Its a load of old blokes.
19. Cutley Grange
I think ageism is the greatest driver behind the large SME business sector. As I have discovered no-one wants to employ anyone over 40 so the only alternative is to start your own business and earn money that way. The trick is then to employ someone young to front the company and then do most of the work yourself, unseen behind the scenes. It puts your costs up to cover the young person's salary but old people produce quality code that works first time so things balance out. The new law won't work as recruitment is never a completely objective process.
20. ksr
I am 47. What I understand from ads is with 20+ years of experience, one is expected to be at the senior management level.
If one hasen't risen up the ranks by that time frame its a problem, not only in IT but in any industry.
21. John Milner
Ageism is a serious issue, since the experience of how to do large scale systems properly is being lost. Youngsters are great at technology and coding but they don't seem to know what works and what doesn't when it comes to Project and Service management.
Youngsters also panic when it all goes pear shaped, oldsters ahve seen it all before and know what to do!!