In our ever-evolving landscape of talent attraction, it might seem like diversity is often just about attracting candidates from various ethnicities and backgrounds. Whilst this is true, we must also keep a place for the less apparent branches of inclusivity. Did you know that a recent study by the Centre for Aging Better in partnership with the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) found that nearly 800,000 people over 50 don’t have a job when they’re willing to work?
So, for this week’s blog, we’re taking inspiration from Joe Slavin - Former CEO of fish4, Managing Director of Monster UK and advisor at Get-Optimal.com, by exploring exactly why you shouldn’t be sleeping on this untapped talent pool.
Those over 50 have a much tougher time finding work after redundancy than younger age groups. But numbers don’t lie. During Covid, a Labour Force Survey by the ONS covering August - October 2021 showed that the number of unemployed aged 50+ rose from 291k to 365k - a dramatic increase of 25% in just two years! And why is this? We’re used to consistency as humans; as we age, we fall into natural patterns of routine - work being one of them. It took something as momentous as a global pandemic, with sudden redundancies left, right and centre, to shake up this untapped talent pool. Imagine working the same job for ten to fifteen years, then being thrown via redundancy into the new world of recruitment - online ads, AI screening, zoom interviews - terrifying!
Engaging the over 50s requires an essential attitude adjustment. Over 50s are more likely to feel they didn’t get a job due to their age, and 40% will be dissuaded from applying to vacancies just because they think their cultural understanding is not current.
What’s distressing about these facts is that older workers can be a shining asset in the world of talent attraction. 50+ workers are more likely to possess legacy skills and are willing to pass them on to other workforce members, tend to take fewer sick days and maintain a stronger work ethic than millennials or Gen Z. In short, attract older talent to the workforce, and you’ll have a committed and dedicated employee who’ll work harder than you realise!
And where will this untapped talent pool start? Your humble job ad. To include applications from this talent pool, you’ll need to research and use data and science to create Job Adverts that won’t come across to the 50+ as confusing, too modern, and stuffed with acronyms and marketing jargon. But how do you do this?
Optimise with us; we’ll ensure AI powers your ads to appeal to the over 50s. With a simple button press, our SaaS solution tackles DE&I, SEO, and structural issues. Simply drop your ad into our SaaS platform or use Optimal’s bullhorn integration, and our AI will instantly remove anything terrifying to the 50+ applicants. Moreover, we’re constantly feeding and training our algorithms - refining words, phrases and concepts that might isolate this talent pool so you’ll always receive an ad that appeals to everyone, including the older workforce.
Work with us at Optimal, and your response rate for open positions will soar by a minimum of 24%. Let our AI display the most readable parts of your Job Ads. You’ll save the precious time you would have spent combing through old or plagiarised job ads to ensure you’re conveying the correct image in the new world of attracting suitable and diverse candidates. No longer will applicants be put off by the vacancy or how it’s been advertised. Optimise once and post in multiple places - your new Job Ad is in a downloadable, editable form to drop in to whichever job board or multi-poster you like!
We are also integrated with Bullhorn and Salesforce. We ensure your Job ad is Diversity and inclusion-compliant, meaning you’ll be the top choice commercially and win business over other, less enlightened competitors.
Ready to join forces? Why not book your demo today and get started with Get-Optimal?
In our ever-evolving landscape of talent attraction, it might seem like diversity is often just about attracting candidates from various ethnicities and backgrounds. Whilst this is true, we must also keep a place for the less apparent branches of inclusivity. Did you know that a recent study by the Centre for Aging Better in partnership with the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) found that nearly 800,000 people over 50 don’t have a job when they’re willing to work?
So, for this week’s blog, we’re taking inspiration from Joe Slavin - Former CEO of fish4, Managing Director of Monster UK and advisor at Get-Optimal.com, by exploring exactly why you shouldn’t be sleeping on this untapped talent pool.
Those over 50 have a much tougher time finding work after redundancy than younger age groups. But numbers don’t lie. During Covid, a Labour Force Survey by the ONS covering August - October 2021 showed that the number of unemployed aged 50+ rose from 291k to 365k - a dramatic increase of 25% in just two years! And why is this? We’re used to consistency as humans; as we age, we fall into natural patterns of routine - work being one of them. It took something as momentous as a global pandemic, with sudden redundancies left, right and centre, to shake up this untapped talent pool. Imagine working the same job for ten to fifteen years, then being thrown via redundancy into the new world of recruitment - online ads, AI screening, zoom interviews - terrifying!
Engaging the over 50s requires an essential attitude adjustment. Over 50s are more likely to feel they didn’t get a job due to their age, and 40% will be dissuaded from applying to vacancies just because they think their cultural understanding is not current.
What’s distressing about these facts is that older workers can be a shining asset in the world of talent attraction. 50+ workers are more likely to possess legacy skills and are willing to pass them on to other workforce members, tend to take fewer sick days and maintain a stronger work ethic than millennials or Gen Z. In short, attract older talent to the workforce, and you’ll have a committed and dedicated employee who’ll work harder than you realise!
And where will this untapped talent pool start? Your humble job ad. To include applications from this talent pool, you’ll need to research and use data and science to create Job Adverts that won’t come across to the 50+ as confusing, too modern, and stuffed with acronyms and marketing jargon. But how do you do this?
Optimise with us; we’ll ensure AI powers your ads to appeal to the over 50s. With a simple button press, our SaaS solution tackles DE&I, SEO, and structural issues. Simply drop your ad into our SaaS platform or use Optimal’s bullhorn integration, and our AI will instantly remove anything terrifying to the 50+ applicants. Moreover, we’re constantly feeding and training our algorithms - refining words, phrases and concepts that might isolate this talent pool so you’ll always receive an ad that appeals to everyone, including the older workforce.
Work with us at Optimal, and your response rate for open positions will soar by a minimum of 24%. Let our AI display the most readable parts of your Job Ads. You’ll save the precious time you would have spent combing through old or plagiarised job ads to ensure you’re conveying the correct image in the new world of attracting suitable and diverse candidates. No longer will applicants be put off by the vacancy or how it’s been advertised. Optimise once and post in multiple places - your new Job Ad is in a downloadable, editable form to drop in to whichever job board or multi-poster you like!
We are also integrated with Bullhorn and Salesforce. We ensure your Job ad is Diversity and inclusion-compliant, meaning you’ll be the top choice commercially and win business over other, less enlightened competitors.
Ready to join forces? Why not book your demo today and get started with Get-Optimal?
