THE ageist nature of the IT industry remains an under-analysed area. But with legislation looming, businesses would be well advised to take a long, hard look at their recruitment processes.

The skills challenges facing the industry create intractable problems for employers and employees as they seek appropriate candidates and positions.

A decline in the number of European IT graduates could lead to a skills shortage as early as next year, according to Forrester Research.

And vocational qualifications provider City & Guilds predicts that the number of people in the UK employed into their 60s will have doubled by 2020.

The age discrimination strand of the European Employment Directive, due to be implemented by autumn 2006, aims to provide impetus to UK companies that are slow to include younger and older workers. It will protect individuals looking for work against unfair discrimination on the grounds that they are considered too young or too old.

The Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo) recently asked a panel of experts, including staffing, legal and government specialists, to discuss the likely effect of the legislation and whether it poses an opportunity or a threat.

ATSCo chief executive Ann Swain says technology-based industries should be more capable than most of coping with greater age diversity because they are skillset-oriented almost to the exclusion of all other considerations.

The only concern for responsible employers should be if an individual has the right expertise for a specific vacancy.

‘If people have the wrong skills, they shouldn’t be able to claim discrimination,’ says Swain. ‘Discrimination occurs when two workers with similar skills offer their services. Age is a factor in the final decision and it shouldn’t be.’

Michael Mertens, chairman of specialist group Age of IT, agrees that ageism is rife in the IT industry.

As a test, his organisation created two nearly identical CVs with one crucial difference: one candidate was 37 years old, the other 47.

The CVs were put forward for the same vacancies. The 37-year-old received a number of enquiries but the 47-year-old received none.

It is ridiculous that the technology industry should consider a 47-year-old to be over the hill, says Mertens.

‘The recruiter is the first hurdle to securing work,’ he says. ‘And yet in this case it was the recruiter that was discriminating.’

Responsibility to avoid discriminatory practices lies with all the parties involved in recruitment.

Swain says that staffing companies must educate their clients and resist pressure to perpetuate existing practices, particularly if those practices discriminate against certain age groups.

‘There needs to be a cultural change to bring employers’ perceptions in line with the law,’ she says.

‘It happened 20 years ago, when employers in IT would sometimes specifically ask for male candidates; now that is unthinkable.

‘The same will happen with age. Staffing companies will shield clients against claims at the recruitment stage of the employment process, but indemnities will come at a cost.’

There is clearly a hope that the European Employment Directive will bring movement in the right direction, but Mertens doubts that the legislation will change the prevailing recruitment culture overnight.

‘IT professionals will still be reluctant to put their age on a CV because selection processes will often not be sufficiently transparent,’ he says.

Age will also still be included in the application process.

Steve Billam, a member of the extending working life team at the Department for Work and Pensions, says employers will still be allowed to ask candidates to disclose their age when applying for jobs.

‘The information should only be used for diversity monitoring,’ he says.

‘Age profiling will allow employers to determine whether their advertising is fair or discriminatory.’

Billam says that the government will not issue guidance to companies about which words should or should not be included in adverts. Specially designated tribunals will provide the information instead. And he says organisations should be able to recognise the huge benefits of a mixed-age workforce.

‘Companies will need to look at processes and change their working practices,’ he says.

Important areas for consideration will include flexible working, mandatory retirement, and pay and benefits.

Monitoring business and recruitment processes on a day-to-day basis is also important, says Stephanie Slanickova, an associate at Tarlo Lyons, a law firm focused on technology-driven business.

Employers will only be able to ask for a set period of experience, such as 10 years, if they can justify it, she says.

‘We should not forget that the laws will also protect younger people from discrimination,’ says Slanickova.

‘Age will be a greater challenge to staffing companies and employers than other equality legislation.’

She says companies will be under no obligation to monitor the age diversity of their workforce. But businesses that do not collect details of applicants’ ages could find it harder to defend claims of discrimination.

IT recruitment specialists, in particular, will have to weed out prejudices among their own staff, says Slanickova.

‘Staffing companies should not aid the discrimination culture of their clients, otherwise they will be lumbered with the offence of their clients,’ she says.

Robbie Cowling, managing director of internet recruitment specialist Jobserve, says his company will stick to the guidelines and closely monitor the content of job adverts.

Jobserve already screens for sexism and racism. New age discrimination laws will add another layer of monitoring, which Cowling says will provide an opportunity for an ageing population.

‘We will monitor for age discrimination and pull ageist adverts,’ he says. ‘But end users tend to view younger workers as cheaper, and older workers as sometimes over-qualified.’

A change is required, then. Staff will need training to spot ageist advertising.

‘Staffing companies need to educate their clients and their recruitment consultants,’ says Age of IT’s Mertens. ‘It is time to tell them that older people make good candidates.’

With the legislation fast approaching, the time to prepare your workforce is now.

Companies that are best prepared for the directive will benefit from being one step ahead of their competitors.

And they will also benefit from a rich and diverse workforce.