Camelia Rodriguez
Many hiring and recruiting professionals believe that Baby Boomers are “too old” for new technology such as video interviews and would find them unappealing and complicated. However, a study by the Pew Research Center revealed that nearly 75 percent of 65 to 69 year olds go online. The income and education of the individuals whom the study focused on were also factors. Ninety percent of seniors who make $75,000 or more, and 87 percent who have a college degree go online. This proves that there are affluent and educated Baby Boomers online and they are talent that companies shouldn’t turn their backs on because of assumptions about their ability to use technology.
Video interviewing technology was not developed to be complex or difficult to operate. This technology was created with the convenience of employers and candidates in mind. Recording answers for a one-way interview is just as easy as surfing the web and shopping online, so Baby Boomers should have no problem completing a video interview on any computer with a webcam. If an older candidate doesn’t have a webcam, they can use a smartphone to record one-way video answers from anywhere and at anytime using a video interviewing platform’s mobile app.
When video interviewing Baby Boomer candidates it is also important to keep in mind that discrimination on the basis of age is absolutely illegal. Older candidates are protected by the government and EEOC from not being hired based on age alone. Companies need to make sure they are abiding by best practices when conducting video interviews, such as asking all candidates the same set of questions.
Just as with any other candidate and any other generation, Baby Boomers have strengths and weaknesses that can be uncovered by using video interviews. Older candidates have many years of experience to share with your organization that can be very valuable to its success. Therefore, you mustn’t fall victim to the common misconception that older workers aren’t as knowledgeable of technology as Millennials.
Learn more about video interviewing technology from our free whitepaper, “10 Video Interviewing Myths Debunked”.
Image: dolgachov/BigStock.com
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