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Why CIOs should hire older IT workers: A strategic advantage
With IT talent shortages rising, older workers offer vital experience, stability and mentorship.
With a global shortage of IT talent, businesses can't afford to overlook older workers.
According to Manpower Group's 2025 Global Talent Shortage report, 76% of IT employers globally face a talent shortage.
When company leaders set out to hire new talent, the focus is often on younger candidates with the expectation that they will bring more energy, experience with newer technologies and a more recent education. However, older workers bring different benefits that should not be discarded outright.
For example, older workers have spent many years in the workforce and have demonstrated resilience as they've had to learn and adapt their skill sets to an ever-evolving technology landscape. They may bring calmness to the team as they've likely been through many ups and downs -- such as acquisitions, downsizing and new management. And they have probably honed their troubleshooting skills to identify problems -- a skill set that can be applied across various technologies.
However, companies must consider potential drawbacks so that they can be mitigated. For example, older workers may not immediately fit in with a younger team, they may need upskilling to support newer technologies, and they may cost more than the company had planned to spend on an open position.
Why older workers are often left out
There are many reasons older workers are left out. Some may be intentional -- referred to as conscious bias -- such as when a hiring manager prefers young workers. Other reasons may be referred to as unconscious bias -- where the hiring manager isn't purposely discounting an older worker.
Conscious bias happens when a person's beliefs affect their ability to view each candidate based on the strengths they can bring to the position. For example, hiring managers may exhibit age bias when they give preference to younger candidates because they feel they are more up-to-date with technology, can work longer hours and have fewer responsibilities at home.
Unconscious bias occurs when a hiring manager brings a bias to the hiring process without being aware of it. In this instance, a hiring manager may focus on candidates with similar backgrounds and interests. The hiring manager doesn't do this because they dislike other candidates; they just click with candidates who are like them. Older workers may also be discounted due to an unconscious assumption that they won't have the physical strength to perform the job as effectively as a younger person might.
Another reason older workers may be left out is because of AI. Today, AI is used in various aspects of the hiring process, including assisting in drafting job descriptions and job postings, as well as ranking candidates based on their resumes. With AI doing so much, there's a chance that older employees will be filtered out by the AI engine. This is especially true when the data model is trained with ideal candidates who all appear to be younger.
Benefits of hiring older workers
There are many reasons to consider hiring older workers, including the following.
- They have years of experience and therefore shouldn't need a lot of supervision.
- They can be relied on as a trusted second opinion when having to make difficult decisions.
- They have the knowledge to learn new skills, as they have done many times over their careers.
- They can coach younger workers on a range of soft and hard skills.
- They may have experience with corporate changes -- such as reorganizations, downsizing and acquisitions.
- They may work harder because they know it's not easy getting a new job when you're an older worker.
- They may have a more flexible schedule because of fewer responsibilities at home.
- It helps build a company culture that values hiring the right person regardless of age or other discriminatory practices.
- They may have a network of past coworkers to call upon when needed.
- They have developed troubleshooting skills that have been honed over many years of working.
- They bring a variety of experiences from working with different companies and managers.
Drawbacks and considerations for hiring older workers
While there are many benefits to hiring older workers, there are also potential drawbacks that should be considered before making an offer, including the following:
- The worker may need upskilling or reskilling to support new applications and hardware.
- If the company workforce is generally younger, the older worker may be an anomaly in the workplace and require extra focus on integrating the new person into the team.
- The older worker may be coming from a more senior role and now just wants a less stressful position. Some managers may see this as a threat rather than an opportunity to learn from someone with years of experience.
- Applications used by the younger generation may be commonplace, whereas an older worker would need to begin using them to help support the employee population.
- More experienced workers may cost more to hire because they have more experience. This can be a valid concern, but one that can be worked out during the interview and offer phases.
- Older workers may not be as keen to work a lot of overtime to get a promotion. At times, this may make them look less engaged.
- There is the added risk of health issues arising with older workers. However, it's important to remember that young people can get serious illnesses, too, and they often have a more adventurous lifestyle that can lead to injuries.
- It can be intimidating for younger employees who may feel like they must compete with an older and more experienced coworker.
Strategic takeaways for CIOs
Treating all candidates equally is often the best strategy. Just because someone is old or young -- or early in their career versus more experienced -- doesn't mean they are the right fit for the open position. Also, hiring older workers sets a good example for the rest of the company.
With many people staying with a company for fewer than five years, age becomes less of a concern. Perhaps the older worker will retire in the next few years, but there's also a good chance a young worker will move on to a new company. Therefore, it's often best to focus on what the new hire will bring in the short term, then work on keeping the best employees.
The experienced worker may be able to contribute in ways that a younger worker may not -- such as having experience handling pressure, learning new technologies quickly and knowing how organizations operate in general. This experience can lead to many unplanned benefits -- such as bringing calmness to the team, coaching other employees and being a trusted voice when difficult trade-offs must be made.
It cannot be discounted that an older person working on a younger team can bring different considerations. For example, there may be extra effort required to make older workers feel welcome and included, job duties may need to be modified, and some reskilling or upskilling may be needed. Retaining older workers may also become a significant concern for the company, especially as they approach retirement age. The company can consider offering flexible work arrangements -- such as more holiday time or leaves of absence, retention bonuses or assignments that keep older workers engaged and eager to continue working.
Having worked and hired employees of all ages, a person's age has never been a deciding factor in whether a person was the right hire or not. It comes down to their ability to do the job, work well with others and help the team deliver a positive ROI on its projects.
Eric St-Jean is an independent consultant with a particular focus on HR technology, project management and Microsoft Excel training and automation. He writes about numerous business and technology areas.