Age details during recruitment

[Cottoneyes]

The company I work for hires alot from the 16 - 21 yr age group as well as from the 21 yr+ group (would be close to a 50/50 split). We have challenges in recruiting for most positions, so age doesn't come into the recruitment process at all, the best candidate is taken.

We are having increasing pressure put on us to keep the wages costs down. Our national award has junior rates for the 16-21 yr age groups.

Currently we don't make the full use of this as the first time we know the candidates actual age is when we receive their tax dec form, personal details etc and get their DOB then, which is post the contract and rate of pay being issued. The internal recruiters quite correctly say they can't ask the age outright as it could be seen as discrimination. This is leading to all new workers being offered the 21+ rate of pay (plus a bit as we generally pay a bit above the award for the harder to recruit places which seems to be 85%+ of the country).

So how do other HRers get around this problem? We can't advertise that 'junior wages apply' like McDonalds does as if a 21+ applies and is the best for the role, we take them. Do others have the conversation to offer the role, then ask their age and then say "well in that case we'll be paying you $x"?

[Neb-Maat-Re]

We can't advertise that 'junior wages apply' like McDonalds does as if a 21+ applies and is the best for the role, we take them.

Why? Couldn't your advert state the full salary and say that junior rates may apply to candidates under 21?

Do others have the conversation to offer the role, then ask their age and then say "well in that case we'll be paying you $x"?

I would have thought this might lead to a few knockbacks - or even complaints. I know I'd be unhappy if I applied for a job advertised at $X, and then was told I was only being offered 80% or 70% of $X when it wasn't made clear up front.

[Tiger]

I don't know why you are advertising any salary at all period!
Personally I think putting salary details in job advertisements can be detrimental to your ultimate aim.

If candidates call you and ask about the salary before applying, then you can simply tell them you operate under such and such award and that the salary will be commensurate with that award. If they are persistent, then you could say the award operates on the basis of age related rates and you could then ask the caller if that would apply to them.
This same scenerio might also apply when a candidate is contacted to invite them for interview.

Another way to go might be that when someone comes for an interview, you have them complete an Application for Employment form. These are standard in most organizations. Of course there is no guarantee some will fill in that Date of Birth line but many will.

You then begin your interviews with that completed form and if the Date of Birth has not been completed, you suspect the individual will be under 21 then once you get to the question of what salary expectation is, you can legitimately say the pay will be as per the award and to give them the rate, you need to know their age. If handled smartly and woven into interview discussion, this should work because it relates to the question of what the job is paying.

However, I would not go there if, by then (at end point of interview), you feel that candidate is not going to be shortlisted. Only have that discussion with those you think you would like to hire, everything else being ok (eg reference checks).

Another way to guess at someone's age is to look at their CV and the year the individual left school. Most state on their Resume their school and higher education details with the year completed. If you have a candidate sitting in front of you who eg has a HSC completed and school name but no year, then ask them what year they completed their HSC. You can then calculated how old they may be.

You can also design your Application for Employment forrm to require the year of completion of education/schooling.

Just get a little creative and this is not as hard as it seems.

Finally, I am always surprised by the number of candidates who still include their Date of Birth in their Resumes.

[Cottoneyes]

Just to clarify, I don't believe the salary is advertised at all.

My role is process re-engineering, and part of it is to lower the wages costs in this part of the business.
I've identified part of the problem is everyone is offered wages based on a 21+ age when close to 50% of the workforce is under this age. Internal recruitment tells me they do this as they don't ask the ages as it would be seen as discrimination.

Thanks for the ideas Tiger, sounds like we might need to relook at the entire recruitment process. The first forms being received are on the first day when the new employee arrives on site and completes the paperwork and sends to head office.

[Qld IR Consultant]

My first question is ask your internal recruiter where it is illegal to ask a person their age when they apply for a job? Secondly it is not illegal to ask, it is however illegal to discriminate against them because of it. Thats where your process re-engineering comes in.

I'd suggest you get some guidance from someone other than your internal recruiter.

[Moz]

I can understand there are reasons why you would want to advertise the salary in the job ad in certain circumstances.

I was going to say, why not advertise a salary range, e.g "Salary range $25,000 - $32,000 depending on age as stated in the relevant Award"

BUT this opens up another potential issue - candidates lying about their age to get paid more!

So perhaps simply quote the range in the job ad and leave it at that unless asked.

Ask short listed applicants to fill in an application form which contains a DOB field. Given than your salary levels are based on age I think it is reasonable to make the DOB field mandatory.

If you get any questions about it say that the salary levels in the Award are related to age.

However, given that you are employing young people you also have an responsibility to ensure that you are not employing people who are under the legal working age. Another reason for you to require DOB.