Human Resources in the Legal Context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resources in the Legal Context - Essay Example According to the report  much of the underutilization of older workers both those currently working and those wanting to work is the result of rigid corporate and government policies and practices.   Many assumptions about the elderly have been transferred to workers in their 50s and early 60s. The result of this transference is that retirement age is typically viewed as a cutoff point for one’s working capabilities.This discussion highlights that  the Avolio Experiment revealed the damaging effects of stereotypical assumptions about age. In his study, Avolio asked young professionals to listen to audio recordings of simulated interviews. Avolio told his subjects that the candidates had similar work experience and equivalent on-the-job performance. The same actors voiced the young and the older candidates on the tapes. When it was time to evaluate the candidates, the listeners tended to regard the older workers as non-valuable contributors and to judge the younger ones a s adequate performers.  Older employees are often refused training opportunities, despite working in organizational cultures that value those who maintain and improve their skills.   Some human resource managers believe that older workers are less flexible, are unwilling to learn or change their ways, and have work styles that conflict with the work styles of younger workers. These unjustified assumptions often lead to rationalizations based entirely on the bottom-line.