HOW AI CAN REINFORCE EXISTING BIAS TOWARDS THE CAREERS OF OLDER WORKERS The growing use of artificial intelligence in hiring offers both risks and opportunities, Fleming said. “If you are looking at introducing AI, this is an opportunity to review things and make sure that you don’t compound bias with technology,” he said. “Take the opportunity to improve things. We are at an inflection point, and if you don’t get it right, it will perpetuate what is already a problem.” Ultimately, the conversation about age inclusion and


recruitment wellbeing is part of a wider discussion on how organisations define talent, where future leaders are coming from, and how to find and keep the skills that many companies urgently need. Rather than viewing recruitment purely as a transactional


THE HEAVY HUMAN COST OF IMPERSONAL HIRING The emotional dimension of recruitment and career development is often overlooked in companies. For older jobseekers navigating automated systems, being repeatedly rejected without feedback can be discouraging, particularly if they are trying to pivot sectors or move to a career transition later in life. As psychologist and career-development specialist


Lucy Standing, co-founder of Brave Starts, explained uncertainty about career direction is itself a major barrier and a threat to wellbeing for many mid-career professionals. Changing sectors or returning to work after a break often requires individuals to re-evaluate not only their skills but also their professional identity. She argues that CV-based filtering is a weak


predictor of long-term job performance, particularly for candidates with non-linear career histories. “Recruitment is broken,” she explained,


highlighting how applicants frequently encounter silence after applying, little transparency or feedback, and scant opportunity for meaningful engagement with potential employers.


FINDING PURPOSE & WELLBEING IN CAREERS OVER 50 The shift toward longer working lives also requires a reassessment of why you are working, what makes you feel happy and fulfilled, and what you are looking to gain from a career. Standing notes that while early-career employees


may prioritise salary growth, status, and advancement, later-career professionals often value purpose, learning, mentoring, and knowledge transfer. They have skills and talents that they want to use, but many organisations fail to reflect these changing priorities and so risk losing valuable talent or failing to attract it in the first place. “In recruitment, use an evidence based approach,”


she said. “Unconscious bias training doesn’t work. Focus on flexible working, because that works for literally everyone, young and old.”


activity, forward-thinking employers are beginning to see it part of EDI and of the company’s culture. Galbrun Noel explains: “Even in Asian countries,


where the pyramid of age is showing no issue in terms of retirement, our colleagues were reporting that they received very good feedback from the younger generations, because they view this programme as being inclusive and showing that the company is taking care of all generations.” Fleming argued that managers and HR leaders need


to challenge hiring expectations internally when requests for “high-potential” or “early-career” profiles, which might inadvertently exclude experienced candidates capable of delivering immediate value, rather than being part of a “talent pipeline”. “Research from Deloitte found that the average


tenure of someone in their 50s is probably 10 years at a company, while the average for a Gen A is two or three years,” he said. “Lots of organisations are hiring for future potential, but actually those younger individuals are moving on very quickly.” As De Silva noted in summing up the discussion, age


inclusion is not a niche workforce issue but a universal one, affecting every employee at some stage of their career. This is why companies need to think very carefully about how they manage the wellbeing and career potential of their employees, whatever their age.


“ IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT INTRODUCING AI, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THINGS & MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON’T COMPOUND BIAS WITH TECHNOLOGY.”


DAVID FLEMING, MANAGING DIRECTOR, STANTON HOUSE


29


GLOBAL LEADERSHIP


RECRUITMENT


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