Many Australian small businesses are struggling to survive, let alone thrive without a full complement of staff.
For many, it’s feeling like a recruitment mouse wheel. Many factors contribute including a lack of skilled migration, but there is a key part solution. And that’s to take a hard review of hiring myths and ageism stereotypes.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported in July there were 480,100 job vacancies. Given small business employ over 4.7 million people and represent 41 per cent of the workforce, these vacancies would weigh heavily on the small-business sector.
Recent research from Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics) found a whopping 171,600 Australians aged 55-64 were unemployed and keen to get back into the workforce. Of those people, 43.1 per cent were skilled and 20.2 per cent had degrees.
Whether it be full-time, part-time, remote or onsite, there are many ways to address staffing. Businesses must be more nimble and open than ever before.
Hiring with an equality mindset
Hiring with an equality mindset is key. That means throwing all prejudices and age stereotypes in the bin. Each person has to be evaluated as an individual, not a generational stereotype.
I ran a media recruitment agency for eleven years and guarantee that age is not a full predictor of skills, competence, attitude, or character. I was, and am constantly, surprised and disappointed with people of all ages.
It’s foolish to assume a one-size-generation rule. The uncomfortable truth is that everyone has biases and judges others (mostly misjudges) based on many factors.
And let’s be frank, small businesses even at the best of times can struggle to find staff against the bigger employer of choice brands and incentives.
Ageism myths debunked
The Diversity Council Australia in 2019 debunked ageism as follows:
- Age discrimination towards older workers is endemic.
Reality: Age discrimination is potentially faced by all workers. - Different generations have different orientations to work
Reality: It is employee life stage (e.g. school leaver, working parent, graduating to retirement) that makes a big difference. - Older people are a homogenous group.
Reality: Older and younger people have intersectional parts of their identity which impacts how they experience inclusion at work. - Older workers outperform younger ones in terms of their reliability, loyalty, work ethic and life experience.
Reality: Performance is not linked to age except in very rare instances. - Older people have a lifetime of experience that managers should recognise.
Reality: Relevant experience, is more valuable than experience itself. - Younger workers are more dynamic, entrepreneurial, and tech-savvy than older workers.
Reality: Older people have a lot to offer the modern workplace. - Younger workers feel entitled and won’t stick around.
Reality: Younger workers are more likely to be in insecure employment and to experience unemployment. - Older people who stay on at work are taking jobs from younger people.
Reality: Increasing the employment of older workers does not harm and may even benefit younger people’s employment prospects.
What’s next?
Attracting the best candidates requires compelling hiring, marketing and employee brand championing.
Values, culture, flexibility, diversity and wellbeing are big ticks for all candidates. State upfront there is no hiring judgement based on age and all applications will be assessed on merit. Word of mouth will fly broadly to all ages, too.
Ramp up visibility values on your website, social media and LinkedIn. LinkedIn is especially important across your profile and posts.
A great new tool over on Company Pages is ‘Commitments’. The section showcases five key employer frameworks including diversity. Use it and champion in everywhere.
And a side benefit of values marketing will be greater client advocacy, referrals and trust.
DARE Group Australia is a valued content partner of Inside Small Business
