Aquent, Sirius and Talent Quarter have been announced as the first recruitment agencies to join the new APSCo Age Inclusive Recruiter programme, developed in partnership with AgeInc.
The newly launched initiative aims to recognise recruitment firms that actively promote inclusivity for employees of all age groups within the workplace. Participating agencies are required to educate and train senior leaders and recruiters to understand and address age discrimination, with a focus on improving opportunities for candidates aged 50 and above.
Societal trends
Australia faces a steadily ageing population, with longevity increasing, healthier lifestyles becoming more common, and declining birth rates. These demographic shifts bring new challenges, including growing costs in healthcare, aged care, and pensions, as well as reductions in the working age population and tax receipts, potentially affecting overall productivity.
Age discrimination persists
Within the labour market, ageism has been spotlighted as a persistent issue, particularly in recruitment. The matter is prominent in sectors like technology, where age discrimination can reportedly affect individuals as young as 35, given that the median age of workers at major technology companies is below 30 years.
The recruitment industry, specifically, is seen as critical in changing perceptions and reducing barriers concerning age. The Age Inclusive Recruiter programme seeks to address this by not only raising awareness about the issue but also providing formal education and introducing a co-branded endorsement badge for firms committed to age inclusivity.
Despite the ongoing demand for talent, advertised roles in ICT have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. However, the technology sector anticipates growth to 1.2 million jobs nationally by 2030, requiring an additional 635,000 workers over the next five years. Roles in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing remain particularly hard to fill, with vacancy rates in tech jobs standing at 60% above the Australian average. The most acute shortages are in technical areas such as software programming and computer networking.
Programme aims
The Age Inclusive Recruiter programme aims to raise awareness of age discrimination, educate recruitment consultants to help influence clients regarding older candidates, and signal agencies' commitment through a recognised endorsement. The programme creates a group of national agencies committed to supporting employment for people aged 50 and over, both internally and by encouraging clients to do the same.
Lesley Horsburgh, CEO, APSCo Australia, commented:
"We are absolutely delighted to welcome Aquent, Sirius and Talent Quarter as our foundation members and look forward to working with them and other APSCo members to help tackle age discrimination in the workplace. The timing couldn't be better for this initiative as new research from AHRI and the AHRC again shows a persistent reluctance by HR managers to hire people aged over 50."
Danielle Johnson, National Director at Sirius, highlighted the responsibility recruiting firms have to promote inclusion and broaden candidate pools, stating:
"As tech recruiters, we shape the workforce every day and that comes with a responsibility to lead on inclusion. Signing up to the APSCo Age Inclusive Recruiter program is a natural step for us. We want to make sure our practices reflect the reality that talent comes at every age. This isn't just about fairness, it's about giving our clients access to the widest, richest pool of experienced and capable candidates."
Monique Richards, Managing Director at Aquent, also addressed the ongoing issue of age bias in recruitment:
"The Age Inclusive Recruiter program challenges the quiet bias that's been limiting workplaces for far too long. In a world of talent shortages and as we grapple with an ageing population, overlooking experienced candidates just doesn't make sense. This program gives our tech recruiters the tools, training, and data they need to help build workforces that truly reflect the strength of all generations."
Richard Spencer, Founder of AgeInc, commented on the broader context of age prejudice in employment and the goals of partnering with APSCo:
"Ageism is the last socially acceptable form of prejudice in Australian employment, and we're delighted to partner with APSCo and the wider recruitment industry to help raise awareness of age discrimination in the workplace as well as to help their members and individual recruitment consultants advise their clients how to achieve more age inclusive recruitment."
The APSCo Age Inclusive Recruiter programme is intended to create a national benchmark for age diversity in recruitment, aiming to help shape market perceptions about the value of workers aged over 50 as organisations respond to demographic changes and skill shortages.
