When hiring a person for any position, it is very important to select the right candidate. Obviously, the first factors that come into consideration are education, soft and hard skills and above all experience. But should and could we also take age into account when making hiring decisions?
Can we employ caregiveron the basis of age?
Legally, we cannot make hiring decisions based on age. Direct and indirect age discrimination is illegal in the EU. However, if a candidate includes information about their age on their CV, any good recruiter will take note of this information. And a great recruiter not only notices it, but also learns something about the candidate.
Of course, what he learns are general assumptions, and as such do not apply to every single person in a particular age group. This is why we not only cannot, but should not, make hiring decisions based on age. Today we will talk about what we can usually expect from a person in a certain age group and about his best qualities.
Age of caregiver: 18 – 30 years
Young doesn’t always mean inexperienced. Think about the fact that this age group is usually very energetic, able to absorb a lot of experience and information in a very short time. If we combine this with great motivation, we achieve a recipe for rapid growth and improvement. Although it may seem that young people are not mature enough to work as caregivers, you will be surprised at the results if you give the right person a chance.
Age of caregiver: 31 – 50 years
At this age, people are generally more extroverted, emotionally stable, conscientious and agreeable. Caregivers in this age group have a more developed personality and can be more reliable. The balance between energy and experience is excellent. What’s more, most people’s work ethic improves significantly at this time of life. These are all qualities that a good caregiver should have.
Age of caregiver: 51-65 years
At this time in their lives, people can really immerse themselves in their work. Their children have most likely grown up, they have accumulated 30 or more years of professional experience, and now it’s time to apply all their skills and knowledge. According to a 2014 study, the median working life expectancy of workers in this age group is more than three times higher compared to younger people.
In addition, these caregivers provide consistent and personal care to their patients. The fact that they are older also helps with communication. A smaller generation gap between caregiverand patient means that finding common topics to talk about will be much easier. The same applies to leisure activities. And when caregiver is doing something that they also enjoy with a patient they are passionate about – the quality of service provided will be on a whole different level.
Carers over 65
Have you ever heard the phrase,“You’re only as old as you feel?” A person’s state of health is a bigger factor in what they can do than their actual age. The oldest person to run a marathon was 100 years old. Why shouldn’t a 70-year-old be an excellent caregiverif he or she is in good health? At this age, caregivers know how to work intelligently. They have mountains of experience and, thanks to an even smaller generation gap, are not only great caregiverbut also companions. If you happen to see the CV of caregiverin this age bracket on your desk, don’t ignore it because of their age, they could turn out to be the best caregiver you’ve ever seen.
In summary, age is just a number, and the information above applies to some caregiver, but certainly not all. When trying to choose the best caregiverfor a particular patient, it is best to judge them by education and experience. Age can give you general information, but it doesn’t necessarily apply to every caregiver. Therefore, in the company Atena we believe in equal opportunities and when selecting employees we are guided by the character, experience and knowledge of the person instead of the information written on the ID card.
Do you think age matters when hiring a caregiver? Share your opinion in a comment.
