Nearly
a third of executives believe that IT professionals become unattractive to
employers at 40, a study claims.
The
survey of nearly 300 senior IT executives by online recruiter FirstPersonGlobal
reveals that more than a third think they have already been discriminated in
their careers as being too old.
According
to the research findings, 50 per cent of UK execs have experienced some form of
age bias in their career, including 12 per cent who have been discriminated
against for being too young.
"It’s
clear that IT executives feel the issue of ageism at work is still current.
They believe that where the skills demanded are constantly evolving, the value
of business experience that older employees bring is overlooked in favour of
the young and apparently more nimble staff," said Paul Smith, CEO of
FirstPersonalGlobal.
Nearly
90 per cent of respondents say there is no difference between older or younger
employees in terms of having the necessary skills to succeed in IT today.
Smith
said one respondent had moved to work in the Middle East because age is
respected there for bringing experience, composure and a grounded approach to
business.
Smith
added that respondents believe that salary structures in the UK have a direct
age bias for pension reasons, which discourages older candidates from
restarting careers or moving to a lower position to further long-term
prospects.
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