A recent report from recruitment specialist Robert Walters shows that many professionals over 50 years old in the UK feel excluded when it comes to career advancement and skill development.
According to the study, 73 per cent of those over 50 feel that they are not being considered for promotion in their current role, and 59 per cent believe that their age limits their ability to access upskilling opportunities. Age-based biases are still influencing hiring and promotion decisions within the UK workforce, leading to this feeling of marginalisation.
According to the research, 65 percent of professionals believe it’s best to remove age information from CVs in order to increase hiring prospects. In addition, 68 percent of those over 50 expect to have to work longer than they originally planned due in part to economic pressures and inadequate pension savings. Robert Walters points out that many older professionals have to deal with these issues and long-term illnesses, which puts a strain on their career prospects.
Habiba Khatoon is the Director of Robert Walters Midlands. She said: “With the number over 50s still not returning back to the pre-pandemic level and the increasing care and prolonged illness spiking the levels of economic inactivity in this group, it’s clear that there is a problem.
Our research shows that professionals over 50 are often treated with bias. They may be denied advancement opportunities in their current companies, or they might not receive upskilling training.
Barriers to career growth for over-50s
Many over-50s have difficulty finding new jobs despite their extensive experience. Many over-50s report difficulties in finding new roles, despite their extensive experience. They may be perceived as “overqualified”, or have unrealistic salary expectations (25%) or are not suitable for long-term jobs (17%) or struggle to fit within the company culture (15%). These fears often lead to missed opportunities that impact career satisfaction and financial security.
Habiba Khatoon stated, “An older worker who initially appears ‘overqualified’ could end up being a better hire. Professionals over 50 will, by default, have more experience in the workforce, having held a variety of positions. This gives them a better idea of what they enjoy and want to do, as opposed to focusing solely on their career goals.
“Equally… unlike their younger counterparts who prefer trends such as ‘job-hopping,’ or’squiggly career’, which sees them jump from job to job, professionals over 50 tend to devote themselves to a single role and offer considerable years of loyalty towards an organization.”
Limitation on Access to Training and Upskilling
Many professionals over 50 also report that they are excluded from training and developmental opportunities. Robert Walters’ report shows that over 50s feel they are often overlooked for upskilling programs, which they consider essential for their career longevity. A recent report revealed that only 22 percent Baby Boomers reported having AI training compared to nearly 50 percent of Gen Z workers.
“Continuous learning for all professionals is essential, no matter their age. Multigenerational teams may be the best way to encourage this.” Khatoon explained that while senior professionals might be better at soft skills such as leadership, younger colleagues can cover digital skills.
Not having the opportunity to learn new skills can place all professionals at a distinct advantage, particularly in terms of exposure to promotions and advancement opportunities.
Age discrimination in hiring: A persistent issue
Robert Walters’ survey reveals that age is a factor in hiring. 65 percent of professionals, across all age categories, admit that disclosing their age on a CV could hurt their chances to land a new job. Fourty-one per cent also claim to omit their graduation dates on their CVs in order to avoid age-related assumptions. Some progressive companies are putting skills first when hiring, disregarding graduation dates and age. However, this practice is not widespread.
Khatoon warns against relying on assumptions about age to deny companies valuable and skilled employees.
Keep graduation dates off CVs. This can cause employers to make assumptions regarding a candidate’s aptitude and attitude. Some forward-thinking companies have requested that ages and dates of graduation be removed from CVs, so they can evaluate them based on their skills.
Over three-fifths (75%) of over-50s expect to delay retirement because they have inadequate pension savings. The lack of employer support in the form of pension contributions is also observed. Most contributions for professionals aged between 50 and 59 fall within the range of 3-6%, which is below the range of 7-10% that some other age categories receive.
The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has noted that the average UK retirement age has risen. It has reached 65.7 years for males and 64.5 for females, the highest level since the reporting began.
