To answer these and other questions about mature workers, we conducted a survey and compiled a list of companies that hire 50-plus workers. The survey, conducted in conjunction with the writing of this book, indicated a strong interest of companies in the older worker as a source of experienced, reliable service.
For this study, the older worker was defined as 50-plus years of age. A brief questionnaire was mailed to 300 randomly selected members of the Employment Management Association, the largest organization of human resource managers in the United States. These personnel officers were asked to assess past performance of older employees, the future needs of their companies, and their current hiring practices with reference to the 50-plus worker.
Sixty-one of the 300 members contacted responded. The responses to each of the multiple-choice questions were tabulated, and the written comments to open questions were recorded. The respondents were categorized according to their business product or service, and information from their answers synthesized. Although their comments concerning mature employees were positive, it must be noted that the returned sample is self-selected. Companies that may discriminate against the older worker may not have returned the questionnaires.
A Broad Spectrum
The responses came from a national variety of industries, reflecting their interest in the older work force and membership in the Employment Management Association (EMA). The greatest number of responses came from the fields of science and technology, with financial services and others following in striking similarity to the list of fastest growing fields in the Occupational Outlook analysis of the U.S. Department of Labor, with one exception. Missing from the list of the present study, but strong in the "Occupational Outlook Handbook," are the Health Diagnosing and Treatment professions, currently in short supply and predicted to continue so. The lack of responses from this group probably reflects its absence from membership in the EMA. Agriculture and forestry, fields in which older workers are strongly represented, are also absent from this survey.
The responding organizations were divided by type as follows:
Among the respondents, the support for hiring the older worker was very strong. Ninety-seven percent answered yes to the questions "Have the 50-plus workers you have hired done a good job for your company?" and "Do you foresee your company's hiring 50-plus workers in the future?" Not one respondent marked the space "Do not generally hire older workers." Many indicated, in a "comment" space provided, that they did not discriminate on the basis of age that they sought to hire the best qualified people for filling job vacancies. In general, companies indicated they had no set hiring policy, except to obtain the best candidate for the job. Some companies noted they had outreach programs directed toward the older worker.
"Does your company hire people who are 50 years old, or older?" the first question asked, had as responses, "Never," 0; "Sometimes," 58%; "Frequently," 42%.
"If you do hire mature workers, at what level are they employed?" was answered with "Entry level," 47%; "Experienced in your field," 93%.
The larger than 100 percent total resulted because some companies marked both choices, indicating they hired older workers at both entry and experienced levels. Comments included by the respondents supported the 93 percent companies' desire for workers with experience and indicated that hires were on a senior and high-technology level.
