Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University
Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University
[short laugh] Because we have enough old ones and do not know what to do with them.” A WCM in the same firm explained the trend towards rejuvenation of the staff with the accomplished rejuvenation of the management: “[H]ere in the plant, superiors who enter a new department and who are, say, 45 years old will of course take care that they do not bring in an old one who is 55 and who is maybe even more experienced. I experience that very concretely in the works that there are attempts to reorganise a department, meaning that if one is the superior, one is the oldest. That entails that if I am 35, I will get workers who are younger than me – and not older.” (2_Firm DE-3_WCM) The opinion that rejuvenation of the workforce was needed was more often expressed by managers. The preference for younger workers was voiced irrespective of the actual age structure of the workforce. The arguments brought forward against the hiring of older workers were the inadequacy of positions, the disregard of the qualification of older workers, general preference for younger persons and neo-classical arguments (lower performance of older workers, seniority system, legal and collective dismissal protection, prohibition of certain work, shorter depreciation period of HRM investments). The shorter depreciation period of investments in human capital was brought forward as recruitment barrier by the chairman of the works council in a utility. Due to personnel reductions and outsourcing, the remaining vacancies are highly specialised workplaces which require four till six years of on-the-job training. And if you hire him at 55, you can calculate that at some point it does not make sense. Soon he´ll be over 60 and is almost about to retire (…).” (2_Firm DE-13_WCM) Despite the generally youth-orientated recruitment policy, some chances for older workers nevertheless appeared in the studied firms. Personnel managers in five firms declared that they were giving equal chances to applicants of all ages. An ´age-blind´ recruitment policy in those firms does however not entail that workers of all ages have equal access to all positions, as they are regarded as unsuitable for certain jobs (e.g. for physically demanding work, customer service in case of young customers or jobs involving the use of modern technologies). In such cases, older applicants are not taken into consideration regardless of their individual capabilities (e.g. opinion of HRM in Firm DE-13). Those findings support hypothesis 2A and falsify hypothesis 2B (see section 2.2.) for the time being with regard to recruitment practice of German companies. Older workers above a certain age threshold (set by the given firm) are perceived as less able and as a potential ´problem group´. Stereotypical ascriptions (less able to learn new things, less physically capable, less productive, low depreciation period because of propensity to early exit) or the aim to rejuvenate their workforce lead to a rejection of older applicants 121
egardless of their individual capabilities. Scholarly literature confirms part of those negative ascriptions to older workers – the fluid intelligence and associated short memory capabilities and capability to quickly learn new things, physical strength, vision and hearing decline in the process of ageing (Cattell 1971; Gerlmaier 2007). On the other hand, older workers can compensate for the losses with their experience (Semmer/Richter 2004). The low inclusion of older applicants in recruitment may also be due to yet another fact – respondents from six firms reported that their establishment seldom receives applications from persons over 49 years. The findings from firm studies can be viewed against the broader basis of experts´ assessments from employment offices, who were interviewed in autumn 2003. The official from a regional employment office holds that only SMEs below 500 workers are willing to hire older employees, while “[y]ou won´t manage to place anyone in a manufacturing firm” (JR_27 10 2003). The director of a local job placement agency confirmed the appraisal that SMEs are more willing to hire older workers, as they value their “absolute reliability” more than the newest technological know-how (KB_17 11 2003). On overall, it can be concluded that only few companies recruited workers at the time of the first or the second interview due to ongoing personnel reductions and preference for the protection of ´insiders´; works councils played an active role in enforcing the latter. Generalised beliefs about older workers block off their access to new workplaces. With regard to those beliefs, I found no differences as to whether the jobs entailed a high amount of cognitive work or physically burdening body postures and heavy lifting. For the first kind of jobs, older workers are regarded as having obsolete technological knowledge, and as too worn out and physically feeble for the second kind of jobs. Chances for older workers to become integrated in the labour market (and not only in short-term measures) rise in times of employment stability, as there have to be available vacancies at all in order to pose chances for older applicants. Another beneficial factor for the recruitment of older workers is a positive assessment of the age structure. The firm case studies have shown that chances for older applicants open up in firms which have problems to find qualified workforce. Due to ongoing hiring freeze (if not personnel reductions) in most firms, the qualitative panel did not provide to a more thorough picture in this policy field. 122
- Page 81 and 82: ased on social insurance and their
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egardless of their individual capabilities. Scholarly literature confirms part of those<br />
negative ascriptions to older workers – the fluid intelligence and associated short memory<br />
capabilities and capability to quickly learn new things, physical strength, vision and hearing<br />
decline in the process of ageing (Cattell 1971; Gerlmaier 2007). On the other hand, older<br />
workers can compensate for the losses with their experience (Semmer/Richter 2004).<br />
The low inclusion of older applicants in recruitment may also be due to yet another fact<br />
– respondents from six firms reported that their establishment seldom receives applications<br />
from persons over 49 years.<br />
The findings from firm studies can be viewed against the broader basis of experts´<br />
assessments from employment offices, who were interviewed in autumn 2003. The official<br />
from a regional employment office holds that only SMEs below 500 workers are willing to<br />
hire older employees, while “[y]ou won´t manage to place anyone in a manufacturing firm”<br />
(JR_27 10 2003). The director of a local job placement agency confirmed the appraisal that<br />
SMEs are more willing to hire older workers, as they value their “absolute reliability” more<br />
than the newest technological know-how (KB_17 11 2003).<br />
On overall, it can be concluded that only few companies recruited workers at the time of<br />
the first or the second interview due to ongoing personnel reductions and preference for the<br />
protection of ´insiders´; works councils played an active role in enforcing the latter.<br />
Generalised beliefs about older workers block off their access to new workplaces. With<br />
regard to those beliefs, I found no differences as to whether the jobs entailed a high amount<br />
of cognitive work or physically burdening body postures and heavy lifting. For the first kind<br />
of jobs, older workers are regarded as having obsolete technological knowledge, and as too<br />
worn out and physically feeble for the second kind of jobs.<br />
Chances for older workers to become integrated in the labour market (and not only in<br />
short-term measures) rise in times of employment stability, as there have to be available<br />
vacancies at all in order to pose chances for older applicants. Another beneficial factor for<br />
the recruitment of older workers is a positive assessment of the age structure. The firm case<br />
studies have shown that chances for older applicants open up in firms which have problems<br />
to find qualified workforce.<br />
Due to ongoing hiring freeze (if not personnel reductions) in most firms, the qualitative<br />
panel did not provide to a more thorough picture in this policy field.<br />
<strong>12</strong>2
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