Employers Hiring Older Workers

Despite the fact that most people, myself included, think that the older you are the harder it is to get hired that's not necessarily always the case.

A new survey from Adecco reports that hiring managers are more likely to hire older workers and that mature workers know how to dress for an interview and know what not to post on social media.

On the other hand, when it comes to technology, taking direction and selling themselves during a job interview, older workers came up short. Here are some of the results from the study.

On the plus side for mature workers (workers age 50 and above):

• Hiring managers are three times as likely to hire a mature worker (60%) as they are to hire a millennial (20%)
• Female hiring managers are more likely to hire a mature worker (66%) than male hiring managers (52%)
• Hiring managers are most likely to associate mature workers with being reliable (91%) and professional (88%)

On the flip side, some of the reasons it can be difficult for older workers to get hired include:

• Hiring managers feel mature workers need more technological know-how (72%)
• Hiring managers think that a challenge in hiring a mature worker is their resistance to taking direction from younger management (33%)
• Another challenge is being able to sell yourself, with female hiring managers more likely than male hiring managers saying it's an issue (42% vs. 27%)

When it come to younger workers (millenials/workers ages 22 to 31) interviewing, social media and writing skills are the biggest challenges:

• Hiring managers said that millenials need to improve their writing skills (46%)
• Millennials' biggest interview mistake, according to the hiring managers surveyed, is wearing inappropriate interview attire (75%)
• The next mistake is posting potentially compromising content on social media channels (70%)
• Showing a lack of interest in a job by not asking questions about the company or position is also an issue (60%)

What makes it hard for older workers is that the concerns the hiring managers had about millenials are much easier to fix. Dressing appropriately for an interview only takes one nice interview outfit. Asking educated questions about the company and the job takes a little research time.

Being careful about what you post on social media sites shouldn't be an issue. There's a ton of information on what not to post online when you're job searching. If you're not sure, check out these top 10 social media do's and don'ts.

Getting up to speed on technology is harder. As is overcoming the perception that because you're older you won't want to work for a younger manager or you're not flexible enough for today's workplace. That's not to say it can't be done though and even a quick makeover and brushing up your skills can help.

Read More: Adecco Staffing Mature Worker Study | Job Search Tips for Older Workers | What to Wear to a Job Interview

Image Copyright Getty Images Andersen Ross