EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative Pledger, Generation, recently published a report on how older and midcareer workers will navigate the changes that AI-driven productivity brings as businesses seek to capitalize on that opportunity.
With grant support from Google.org and The SCAN Foundation, Generation commissioned YouGov to survey two audiences across a range of industries and company sizes in France, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States during May and June 2024:
- 2,610 employees: People age 45+ who work in entry- and midlevel roles
- 1,488 employers: Hiring managers who evaluate candidates for these roles
The survey explored the rollout and use of AI tools, specifically generative AI tools, or those capable of generating content such as text, images, video, audio, or speech.
Report Findings
Hiring slowdown could fuel age discrimination
The survey found that US and European employers predict a sharp drop in hiring, ranging from 22% to 64%, over the next 12 months in their entry-level and mid-level hiring, a trend that was consistent across sectors, company size, and market data.
Unfortunately, these roles have been increasingly pursued by older workers whether they are people making career switches due to prior roles becoming obsolete, people who need to keep working into traditional “retirement” years to maintain financial security, or simply individuals who have made their careers in entry- or mid-level roles.
Therefore, one of the biggest risks of this anticipated hiring slowdown is that pre-existing age biases will make it even more difficult for older workers to find jobs, as competition for these roles increases. Indeed, previous Generation research revealed that employers consistently showed a preference for younger candidates. 47% of hiring managers saying they would hire a candidate aged 30-44, but that dropped to only 13% for candidates aged 55+, even though these negative hiring biases were proven wrong when the same hiring managers were asked about the job performance of mid-career and older workers already employed at their company.
The preference for younger candidates intensifies when considering toles that regularly use AI tools; 90% would hire candidates under 35, with only 32-33% taking a change on a candidate over 60.
AI adoption among older workers is low, but the growth potential is huge
The report revealed that, on average, just 15% of workers age 45+ across both Europe and the US are currently using AI in the workplace.
But just because they don’t, doesn’t mean they can’t. The report also found that of those mid-career and older workers who have adopted AI, the majority are self-taught and ‘power users’, meaning they use AI many times a week, and are seeing benefits in their work quality and pace.
However, the greater challenge is that while nearly all employers we surveyed are rolling out AI training and self-serve supports, they are not yet making clear to experienced workers how AI will benefit them in conducting their daily tasks.
3 calls to action
- To make the most of AI in the workplace, employers must do more to make the most of their experienced workers.
- Workforce programs need to be retooled to serve different profiles.
- Midcareer and older workers must do more to experiment with how AI tools can enhance their workplace effectiveness.
What can older workers do to make themselves employable?
Midcareer and older workers can’t just fall back on experience as the best way to stay employable, especially when it comes to AI where experience needs to be coupled with technical skills.
A 2023 joint research project between Generation and the OECD revealed that, when it came to experience, employers were equally likely to interview someone with five years’ experience as someone with 25. However, they do have clear preferences for candidates with recent and relevant training, but training participation across all education levels decreases with age.
So, for older workers to improve their employment prospects, they need to actively pursue AI skills and knowledge.
Partners
