Pre-retirees don’t always get a fair shot at a job

Pre-retirees don’t always get a fair shot at a job

Despite the tight labour market and the rise of inclusivity policies in business, people over sixty are still not in demand as employees. This is shown by research by Pro Contact among 300 Dutch business owners and senior managers at companies of various sizes with at least 10 FTE. A third (30%) say they would rather hire someone with no experience at all than someone close to retirement age. That’s striking, because the group that has worked with people over sixty is predominantly positive about the experience (81%). The main reasons: they are hard workers (57%) and they bring a positive atmosphere to the workplace (46%).

Inclusivity policy on the agenda at more than half of companies

Companies also look at people from different backgrounds for various roles, because an inclusivity policy is part of their business objectives. More than half of those with strategic responsibility say they do this (52%). On the other hand, there is still a small group, 15 percent, who say they are doing nothing at all in this area.

Willem Bos, creative director of Pro Contact and initiator of the research: “Given inclusivity and the rise of this movement, these are quite striking results. If you give everyone a place within the organisation, age shouldn’t play a role. Our research has already shown that people with a ‘blemish’ on their record still struggle to find a job. My advice to Dutch business owners would be to recruit with a more open mind. You’ll then really stand a better chance of finding a star for your organisation.”