Note - For information on:
- employing a mature age person with a disability, please visit JobAccess
- employing a mature age indigenous person, please visit Workplace
- employing a mature age parent, please visit Workplace
- changes to employer obligations in relation to visa work rights or to check the visa work rights status of existing foreign workers please visit Immigration
Job analysis
A proper job analysis allows you to establish the following:
- Duties and tasks – such as frequency and duration of work, effort and skill required, complexity of tasks and equipment and standards required for the job in question.
- The work environment – which may have a significant impact on the physical requirements of the job.
- Tools and equipment – some duties and tasks are performed using specific equipment, tools and protective clothing, which should be specified in the job analysis.
- Relationships – this part is about the supervision given and received, and the relationships involved both internally and externally.
- Requirements – this usually states the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job.
- Flexible working practices – here you can establish whether it is possible to incorporate flexible working practices (e.g. working from home, job share, part-time and so on).
Job descriptions
Job descriptions help to:
- define selection criteria for the job;
- appropriately assign occupational codes, titles and pay levels;
- clearly establish performance requirements;
- make decisions on job restructuring;
- successfully train new employees in their job duties.
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Advertising tips
Here are some elements you may wish to think about when writing your ad:
- Ensure your advertisement uses plain English (avoid jargon), is clear, concise and provides information about the position, including the skills and abilities required as well as the name and location of your business.
- Write a summary about the business and/or industry, including what kind of customer base you have and what products or services you offer.
- Make sure the advertisement makes it clear that all people with the right skills, qualifications and experience will be considered.
- To make the advertisement attractive to mature age applicants, mention any flexible working arrangements that you have in place or will consider for the right person.
- Words such as ‘young’ and ‘mature’ as well as specifying age ranges or limits are unlawful, so the wording should be age-neutral. If you are looking for mature age workers, replace the terms 'senior' or ‘mature person’ with ‘experienced’, or ‘able to work unsupervised.’
- Also avoid any reference to race, religion, marital/parental status or other personal characteristics. Instead, list specific skills and qualifications.
- Include the name of a contact person in the advertisement and ensure they have information prepared about the position. (This person should also have a copy of any relevant selection criteria to help with shortlisting.)
- Finally, include a statement such as 'we are an age-friendly organisation' or 'people of all ages are encouraged to apply'.
Read more: Example - sample ad
Read more: Where to advertise
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Tips on shortlisting candidates for interview
Selecting the right candidates to interview is a crucial step in the recruitment process. The tips below may help you to shortlist candidates for the interview stage.
- Ask all candidates to directly address the same essential components of the job in their written application. This will help compare all the applications and is more likely to show who can really do the job rather than simply comparing résumés.
- Focus on the position requirements and how the candidates' skills and attributes match these.
- Rank applicants according to performance against the essential and desirable job requirements
- Before interviewing set aside preconceptions and assumptions about personal characteristics and ignore irrelevant details such as age and gender.
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Interviewing tips
The most important step in the recruitment process is the interview. Here business owners, HR managers and selected staff interviewers have a chance to meet one-on-one with the candidate, assess their ability to perform the duties described, as well as their 'fit' with the organisation.
Listed below are some typical interview questions that will help gain a sense of a candidate.
- Why are you interested in a position with our organisation?
- Why have you chosen this particular field?
- What interests you the most and least in a job?
- What are your strengths in relation to the vacancy requirements?
- What areas of your skills and behaviours are you working on to improve?
- Give an example of a time when you showed initiative or leadership.
- What achievements can you share that demonstrate abilities relating to the job vacancy?
- How did you prepare for this interview?
Here are a few additional tips to ensure your interviewing staff are making the most of mature age candidates.
- Ask all candidates the same questions.
- Train interviewers to recognise the value of hiring mature workers.
- Communicate all the benefits of working for your business. Be aware that quality workers select quality organisations, regardless of their age, so ensure that interviewers are able to sell the benefits of the business effectively.
- Ensure that interviewers are not threatened by mature age workers with more experience than themselves.
- Train interviewers to see 'over-qualification' as a benefit, not a negative aspect of a candidate and watch for bias towards candidates their own age.
- Ensure interviewers are able to clarify the career and work/life aspirations of older candidates.
- Make sure your interviewers do not oversell the position, and are able to provide a realistic job preview to prospective candidates, as candidates who are over-sold will most likely leave fairly quickly, adding to your recruitment costs.
- Ensure that there is a checklist that substantiates the reason for selecting one particular candidate over others.
You should never ask candidates (of any age) questions of a personal nature, such as questions regarding their age, marital status or whether they have children. You should only ask questions that specifically relate to a person's ability to perform the duties of the role.
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Tips for selecting the successful candidate
- Focus on the position requirements and how all of the candidates' skills and attributes match these.
- Rank applicants according to performance against the essential and desirable job requirements.
- Assess all the information obtained; the application form, résumé, interview, referees' reports, tests and so on.
- Select the person who is best suited to the job's requirements.
- Record the decision for picking the successful candidate as well as the reasoning behind it.
- Ensure the entire selection process is confidential.
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Employment offer
Once the preferred candidate is selected, the position can be offered verbally, by letter or via email. Upon acceptance, an employment contract should be drawn up and signed by both parties.
Providing feedback to all candidates
It is important to provide feedback to all unsuccessful candidates to maintain your organisation's profile as a 'preferred employer' in the marketplace.
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