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I have worked with several people over the age of 60, including bosses, supervisors, and co-workers.
Most of these older employees I worked with were at the stage of their life when they prefer life not to get so complicated, such as office politics and mind games, and to take it easier, like being more flexible with deadlines and quality of work.
Most of these older employees complain more, yet because they are close to retiring, don't do anything to solve or change things.
This has been frustrating at times and it brings the moral of others down, including mine.
Having a supervisor or boss over 60 is worse than just having to work with a co-worker of that age. So, if I ever have a choice about where to work and I'm not desperate enough to accept just about anything, I won't work for a boss or supervisor who is over 60.
Asking "would you hire someone 60?" makes about as much sense as asking "would you hire a woman?" or "would you hire a black guy?" ie none.
I would hire someone based on their qualifications/ability for the job and my impressions during the interview. Period. Anything else is idiotic. Which, sadly, describes more than a few HRs/hiring people these days. And age discrimination, despite being illegal, is all the rage, and for some of the laughably stupid "reasons" already put forth.
PS: I'd love to know how you know they're 60 since it's illegal to ask.
This is true but they also ask about your education and want to know when you graduated from high school, etc. so that's pretty 'telling'. I didn't go to college till my 30s so if they went by that it would 'knock off' some years.
I am now 67 and have been dealing with 'age discrimination' since my mid 50s. Of course you can't prove it but it's there, just the same. About the only place I've seen that doesn't practice discrimination so much is Wal Mart and I will be starting there tomorrow. I've been unemployed for nine months and put in many applications. Mostly I never even got a call for an interview.
As I got closer to retirement age I figured that people didn't want to hire me because of that. They probably figured I was only going to be there until I could fully retire. What they didn't realize is that my SS is so small I will never be able to fully retire and will be working till I fall over dead...on the job!
Actually, the question asked DOES make sense because it really is a big deal these days and many of us HAVE experienced biases due to our age. People used to tell me that with my experience, and how well I've always done on the job, I'd have no problem getting hired but that hasn't been the case, at all.
Once, it was the strong back that served the needs of the working world. Soon, it became the smart mind and the entrepreneurial spirit that triumphed, and now that we have digressed into a dog-eat-dog society, it is the giant corporations which set the standards of low wages for the producers, better wages for the managers and the best deal for the greedy corporate heads, brokers and bankers, entertainers and politicians because power IS money and money converts to power.
What good is job training when there are no jobs? Why get a costly education when you can make money selling drugs or swatting a baseball? Why go to college if you can't find a job that will allow you to repay the tuition? If I were hiring, I'd opt to go with the candidate that has the experience although a younger person might seem to require less money, you only get what you pay for, nothing more but hopefully, nothing less.
I'm out of work for 16 months now, living in a high cost area and trying to survive on Social security. I have a lot of talent, a keen mind but a limit on the application base and my hopes are dashed because of this failing economy. Meanwhile, I keep myself from stagnating by spending my time here on the internet, the poker room, facebook and youtube. Thank God that I've seen the best years that America has ever seen and my greatest fears are for the generation that my grandchildren will see.
While I can appreciate the reasons for jumping on the person who said they wouldn't hire someone over 60, you must admit that was the question asked by the thread starter. I'd prefer to hear an honest answer and the ensuing debate over their reasons and opposing reasons than having threads where nobody dare state their opinion for fear of taking arrows for doing so.
If you disagree with their claims that someone 60 doesn't get along with younger workers or isn't sharp with computers fine point that out, but I think it's completely unfair to blast someone just for answering the thread's question with an honest answer.
As for the thread, for me it would depend on the job and that works both ways there are jobs that I would hire a 25 year old for either.
The oldest US postal worker just retired in Redlands, CA. He was 95 and started the job at age 58.
With 37 years on the job, he never called in sick.
I have worked with 20 somethings who are on their cell phone, come in late, or head to the company cafeteria to go get breakfast first thing in the morning.
How about eating at home?
In most cases an older worker will have a better work ethic than a younger person.
While I can appreciate the reasons for jumping on the person who said they wouldn't hire someone over 60, you must admit that was the question asked by the thread starter. I'd prefer to hear an honest answer and the ensuing debate over their reasons and opposing reasons than having threads where nobody dare state their opinion for fear of taking arrows for doing so.
If you disagree with their claims that someone 60 doesn't get along with younger workers or isn't sharp with computers fine point that out, but I think it's completely unfair to blast someone just for answering the thread's question with an honest answer.
As for the thread, for me it would depend on the job and that works both ways there are jobs that I would hire a 25 year old for either.
Best of luck everyone.
Exactly - we need to know WHY they say they wouldn't, so we can be better armed to refute their assumptions (especially the ones that are baseless prejudice).
I am not in a position to hire, so...
I am 57 and speed-type about 200 wpm. I've had Macs since 1987 (well before my old-fashioned hospital job got computers). I learn what I need of software, etc., and am not interested otherwise. I have continually been surprised by young (recent college grad-age co-workers) who don't know much or anything about using software, learning it, or touch typing. They know how to surf the internet- not exactly a big deal. They are glued to their cell phones and iPhones and such. They have had to be told that they shouldn't be on the phone or wearing an iPod while talking to/checking on patients (psychiatric hospital).
Now, these are psych grads, liberal arts and all, not engineer types. But still.
My job recently went to electronic medical records for doctors' orders and medication charting. The program is an old clunker and needs constant tweaking to be remotely effective. I am considered an expert. This should alarm anyone with a clue.
I would always rather see older rather than younger workers if their past includes experience- nothing counts like experience to work hands-on with psych patients, until people get too old to effectively do the occasional physical work. Most of us have been injured at work in one way or another, and no one is a physical match for a young manic out-of-control patient, but you have to have some ability to be effective and safe.
I am obviously very far from any corporate environment and never see my own management (by design- third shift) so don't know how age would work there.
I have worked with a lot of people who are in their late 40s/ 50s who are just as set in their ways as someone who is in their 60s. My organization is constantly re-evaluating and changing. I really don't want to manage someone on my team who is still focused on how things were done 15 years ago-- this is true whether you are 47 or 67.
I work with an older guy who is incredible. Super sharp, super witty, super aggressive in ideas, work, etc. But everything about him is that way, he is super fit (plays on the company sports teams), and very outgoing. No one can look at him and think that his age hinders him.
On the other hand, I know of two older people in my work area who struggle with every little change. They are very slow to pick up new skills, new tasks, they rarely are able to think out of the box without a lot of coaching-- and even then it is not thinking out of the box they are just following someone else's guidelines and directions. Would I hire someone like them (even though they have far more experience than the others in our local organization?) Nope! Their experience is NO longer relevant and their experience holds them back from being able to move forward in their work life currently.
Would I hire the other guy who is older than the two of them? In a heartbeat! Even paying him a higher salary and offering additional benefits would be well worth having someone like him in my group.
The oldest US postal worker just retired in Redlands, CA. He was 95 and started the job at age 58.
With 37 years on the job, he never called in sick.
I have worked with 20 somethings who are on their cell phone, come in late, or head to the company cafeteria to go get breakfast first thing in the morning.
How about eating at home?
In most cases an older worker will have a better work ethic than a younger person.
Are you seriously equating a good worker with someone who does not go to the company cafeteria in the morning to get breakfast first thing in the morning? Seriously?
I get to work, boot my laptop, and run over to the cafeteria. I can guarantee you HANDS DOWN with absolutely no exaggeration that even if I spend the first 15 minutes of my day grabbing breakfast, ice, water, etc-- that I am still far more productive than someone sitting right at their desk as soon as they walk into the door.
Quite frankly-- the old school beliefs of work environments are just as ridiculous as asking if someone would or would not hire someone 60.
Granted, my job is not one that is customer focused (i.e. I don't have customers standing in front of me), but my management is not going to freak out if I send a few emails, make personal calls, etc as long as I get my work done well, efficiently, accurately, and above expectations. I would definitely agree that in a very customer facing role or in a call center, it would be highly inappropriate to send a text message here and there, take a personal call, send an email, or even go to the cafe when you are supposed to be right there facing the public.
Once I worked in an environment, where "appearance" meant more than actual performance. As long as you were at your desk before 8am, everyone thought you were a superstar-- even though you may just be staring off into space, chit chatting with your coworkers, etc.
For what it is worth, I am not delusional about my performance and the way I work-- I have (under various managers) for the past 5 years (2x a year for a total of 10 reviews) received the absolute highest ratings that are usually only given to 5-12% of the company (I just saw the latest published statistics a couple months ago). Obviously, my management, peers, etc have not freaked out because I go get breakfast in the morning.
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