Old Is (Really) Gold
Romanian society has, unfortunately, created some dangerous cliches about people over 45
Luiza Moldovan, 06.10.2021, 20:44
Romanian society has, unfortunately, created some dangerous cliches. One of them is that which says that people over 45 have very low chances of finding a job. As a result, job holders over that age who are disenchanted with their present job are in no rush to look for something else, truly believing that no one will hire them. Others, who were seeking a job while unemployed, have faced several refusals, and have lost their confidence and the drive to look any further. We asked ourselves if people over 45 were truly doomed, and if they are really unable to find employment in a rapidly changing society. We further asked ourselves what skills and competencies are needed for a person over 45 in order to stand a good chance at finding a job. Inversely, we asked ourselves what could hold them back. For the answers, we talked with Raluca Dumitra, head of marketing at the eJobs Group, who brought us up to speed:
“By every measure, candidates over 45 are facing the greatest challenges when it comes to seeking a job, and that is primarily because they are less computer savvy as compared to the younger generations. At the same time, they have less flexibility, but also a bit less inclination towards the new, and leaving their comfort zone. At the same time, we should not overlook the fact that they have some cards up their sleeve. First of all, an ample experience in their job, which they can hand down to their younger team mates. We are talking about a high level of endurance, and the fact that they are very punctual.”
A while back, people were talking about stealing a trade. Now it is called shadowing. Basically, it is the same thing. An older employee teaches skills to their younger colleague, but it is also the case that the younger employee may pass something on to their older one. Overall, an employee over 45 can increase greatly their chances of holding on to a job, even finding a new one, if they are willing to pass on their skills to younger ones. After all, they have at one time shadowed someone else. And here is Raluca Dumitra:
“There are definitely large differences, as it is natural, differences in skills and experience between the two categories. However, people can turn this into an advantage. Programs can be designed for younger people to steal the trade, to shadow the older ones, which is beneficial to everyone, for the young and for the older. People over 45 can then have the opportunity to pass on skills, and feel more valuable for the company and the stakeholders.”
Candidates over 45 also have their disadvantages: they are more rigid, and some of them are not willing to take a pay cut for a new job. However, let us now focus on advantages along with Raluca Dumitra:
“Most of the time, employers prefer young people without experience for some very simple reasons. On the one hand, you can train them just as they want, which, if we were to be honest, is very difficult to do with the people over 45. As we age, we lose flexibility, and the ability to adapt to new requirements. We are also talking about the financial side. Most people over 45 have a wage level that they want to hold on to. A lot of times, it is more advantageous for an employer to take in a junior employee for a smaller salary, with the advantage that they can then train and mold them as they wish. Of course, it is also the case that a young person that they trained may not want to stay with the company. This is a risk for any employer, which is smaller in the case of an employee over 45, which we all know are much more stable.”
According to the latest study by eJobs, there is some good news for the 45+ generation too:
“I dont think we should put an equal sign between an age above 45 and a difficult personality. It is true that there are difficulties with them integrating in younger groups, which most of them admit, because there will be generational conflicts, by all means. There are differences in mentality that may cause conflicts. About 42% of them told us, in our latest study, that they dont really find common topics of conversation with their younger colleagues, mostly because of the age difference. What is encouraging is that many of the over 45ers told us that they are perfectly willing to make some concessions for a better job. About 45% of them admitted that they would be willing to convert professionally if they can get a better job. 16.5% of them said that they would even be willing to take a pay cut, if the job had better prospects. 8.4% would be willing to move to another country, and 7% would be willing to move to another locality in Romania. Also 7% of respondents told us they would be willing to work on a computer. At the same time, it is telling that 16% of them would not make any compromise at all for a better job.”
One solution that may be fruitful for a person over 45 is professional conversion, learning new skill in unfamiliar territory, which takes confidence, says Raluca Dumitra:
“Ideally, we should be seeing more companies where employees over 45 are willing to share expertise, skills acquired along the years with younger generations, which would benefit everyone. At the same time, I hope we will see more candidates who undergo professional conversion, because 45% of them told us that they would be willing to tray other areas to which they could carry existing skills. Also, it would be a very good thing if they understood that in 2021, shifting to digital is no longer a whim, it is something that every candidate has to be willing to do. Lack of computer knowledge is a definite drawback in seeking employment at any age, not just over 45.”
