Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University

4.2.3. Recruitment Practice
Good practice in recruitment entails the absence of age bars in job advertisements,
positive discrimination towards older workers, hiring applicants only on basis of their
qualifications and abilities, and the counselling of persons responsible for recruitment in the
company on how to overcome stereotypes (Walker/Taylor 1998: 3; Naegele/Walker 2003:
231). 46 Increasing the recruitment ratios of older applicants is one of the levers with which
higher employment rates of ´50pluses´ can be achieved. A non-discriminatory policy is all
the more important in times of rising unemployment and of increased share of temporary
contracts and contingent workers.
Recruitment practice was a difficult topic to explore in the firm case studies as I had to
rely only on the reports of the interviewees (no data on new recruits was provided), coupled
with the opportunity to cross-check the accounts of managers and of the works council.
Moreover, in seven firms under study in 2004 and in seven firms in 2006, personnel
reductions were taking place. Altogether in ten establishments, a hiring freeze and the
preferential recruitment of former apprentices or internal applicants was the leading
recruitment policy at either one (or both) times of the study. That left little material for the
study of recruitment practice. For this reason, neither hypothesis 3 (see section 2.2.) can be
assessed here, nor can a ´good practice´ example be given.
However, some basic patterns could be discerned. Young workers (former apprentices,
college graduates) and middle-aged workers (although the threshold to ´old age´ was
defined differently, between 40-50 years) are preferred as new recruits in the studied
establishments. The most frequent argument against the hiring of older persons was the
envisaged rejuvenation of the workforce. That was most explicitly formulated by
respondents in six firms but existed as undercurrent in recruitment politics of many other
firms.
The objective of workforce rejuvenation had in some firms the status of informal rules
and instructions. The personnel development manager in Firm DE-14 reported that the
management board had defined the requirement to recruit graduates in order to improve the
“compressed” age structure (2_Firm DE-14_HRM). The HRM in the metal-manufacturing
company said: “Up till now, the philosophy is to recruit not the old but the young. (…)
46 In line with the quoted literature, ´good practice´ is understood here as analytical and not normative concept.
It entails measures which „combat age barriers and/or promote age diversity“ (Naegele/Walker 2006). I did
not analyse whether ´good practice´ was conducive for good economic results of the firm.
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