This report concentrates on one aspect of the recruitment process and illustrates the negative impact ageist language can have on older workers. It's a part of the Good Recruitment for Older Workers (GROW) project.
While some employers are aware of the benefits of having older workers in their workforce, older jobseekers still feel that they are disadvantaged in the recruitment process.
This is the third report in a series from Ageing Better’s Good Recruitment for Older Workers (GROW) project. This report, which summarises the findings of research commissioned by Ageing Better and undertaken by the Behavioural Insights Team, looks at the language used in job advertisements and how this impacts older workers. Previous reports have looked at the recruitment landscape and individuals’ experience of recruitment.
The research finds that language in job adverts alone is unlikely to be a ‘silver bullet’. Employers and recruiters need to consider how this part of the process feeds into a broader understanding of how and where ageism operates throughout the whole recruitment process. Employers can demonstrate their commitment to fairness in recruitment by becoming an age-friendly employer.
