Are Online Job Sites Blocking Older Workers?

In a perfect world, computer software should create an impartial way to rank employees who apply for work through online job sites. Older workers may not fare as well as younger workers applying through these websites, and the issue isn't a lack of technological skill.

According to CNBC, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan opened an investigation into whether online job sites discriminate against older workers with parameters build right into the software. This move follows research published by the San Francisco Federal Reserve that found older candidates were 30 percent less likely to get a call or email back from potential employers. Older women were 47 percent less likely to get a response after applying for a job.

The Federal Reserve sent resumes from three different age groups for 13,000 positions across 12 cities in 11 states. Call backs for older men averaged 21 percent for everyone, but only 15 percent for older men in certain job categories. Age discrimination happens, but it's not very obvious because it happens in the functionality of job search websites.

How Websites Discriminate Against Older Workers

Madigan pointed out that several websites discriminate against older workers simply through drop-down menus. Some places have choices that don't go back far enough when inputting years for attending college. For example, one website only went back to 1956 under the menu choice listed as Years Attended College. Another website only went back to 1980 in terms of spending time in college. Other websites ranged from 1950 to 1970 for college years.

Many of these college dates make it impossible for people in their 70s and 80s to complete the online application, provided they attended college during traditional years in their early 20s. The website that stopped time in college at 1980 prevented anyone 52 or older from filling out the application, assuming workers attended college shortly after high school.

Remedying the Situation

Madigan's office sent official letters to a few of these websites, including CareerBuilder, Indeed, Ladders, Monster Jobs and Vault. Representatives from CareerBuilder called Madigan's letter a mistake, while other websites didn't comment or said they hadn't received the letter. Indeed has a specific section for older workers that lists 158,000 openings under its Part Time Jobs, Senior Citizen Jobs section. Monster.com has a separate page that says Jobs 50+ for people interested in those positions.

Older candidates can fight age discrimination in several ways. On resumes, experts recommend leaving off the years of graduation when it comes to college. Older people can keep their skills up-to-date by taking classes and online training courses, and maintaining current social media accounts. Just like with any job opportunities, older candidates can leverage their networks to find the best job openings within companies.

Older workers don't deserve getting shortchanged when it comes to finding a job. Plenty of people maintain fantastic skills well into their 80s thanks to better health and good physical shape, and keeping up with employment trends. Unfortunately, the current anti-discrimination system relies on after-the-fact litigation rather than before-hiring prevention.

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