Despite recent research from law firm Russell Walker & Jones, which found that 68% of professionals in the City were under the age of 40, it seems that for one City recruiter at least, the grey panthers are striking back.
S&H Consulting, which recruits for key strategic hires in the financial services, consultancy and technology vendors space says that the City is becoming more flexible.
“We recently placed a contractor who had just taken early retirement with an investment bank, historically a younger persons arena,” says Managing Director Alan Summers. “There are certain skills sets which are in such high demand that employers are having to become much more flexible. It’s the skills sets that matter, not the age–which is in the very spirit of the new legislation,” he continues.
“From the candidate perspective, we’re seeing more and more people coming back into the workplace after retirement to keep themselves occupied, keep up social contact and to supplement dwindling pensions. And we’re finding that there’s no shortage of opportunities for them, particularly in temporary and contract roles, where flexibility and experience are essential.”
“Age discrimination is just a waste of potential talent,” says Summers. “And I really think that firms like ours can try to take a lead in changing the ingrained attitudes to age and work which sometimes can exist in many City institutions.”