Ina Teves, Organizational Development Consultant

Ina Teves is an organizational development consultant with a change management firm dedicated to making a difference wherever it goes by journeying with the client through the entire process of organizational transformation. Email your questions to ina.b.teves@gmail.com.

Are people in their 50s still employable?

Dear Ms. Ina:

Greetings! I have a pressing concern about employment, age, and compensation. I have been in the practice for 11 years serving various companies in a managerial capacity. I am best being invited (nicer word for pirated) to join a company to officiate their HRD department. This happened to me 5x in a row. Before, I can change employment easily within 15 hours after serving the 30-day notice. This also helped me increase my market value at the same time.

My recent employment was in an international airline company.  Sadly though, we were forced to resign because of rifts between top management people which made us  victims of the Board decision to change the pioneering management group. We were paid like retrenched employees and the company is barely eight months in its preparation stage. I joined in its fifth month.  We agreed to  their request for goodwill reasons. 

But that was past and I have to move on to find gainful employment now.   Ms. Ina, I'm in my 50s, 54 to be exact, and I find it hard to be employed. This is the second time I'm applying in my entire work life and age.  The first one was after college.  I have  superior credentials and modesty aside my academic performance is a reflection of my work performance as well. As far as HRD functional responsibility is concerned, I am very confident of my competencies and I do have the right personality for this career.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I am paranoid about my age in relation to winning a job these days. Are there companies that don't discriminate age of applicants? And by natural law (our labor law doesn't have it) it is a wrong practice to discriminate applicants for any reason except for illiteracy. As of the time of this writing, I have 50+ pending applications both online and referrals. But it's been two months and I’ve barely gotten half-a-dozen of interviews.

Aside from my age, I'm also apprehensive about the compensation rate (minus other packages). As per the salary report, the recent pay I was receiving is  25 percent above the average rate in the market.  Will I still win a job considering these two factors that I perceive to be a hindrance in continuing my career? Yes, I'm jobless right now but I know I still have a career. A career I am very good at. Thank you.

Dear Roger,

To answer your question, yes, they are!  If they have continued to grow in their careers and achieve depth in their experience, as you have, they are employable. It is a matter of finding a match for your skills – and wisdom – and the organization’s needs and budget.  The search will be a challenge, as talent combined with experience could be expensive, but not one that cannot be overcome.

I have invited a dear friend to share some thoughts on your question. Rodrigo Naguiat is Associate Director for Strategic HR at Ayala Corp with 35 years of HR wisdom to his credit.

***

Age 54, 11 years in a managerial capacity, superior credentials, confidence in your competencies – all these are excellent reasons why a company should seriously consider you for employment.

In a “War for Talent” environment, a potential employer would welcome the wisdom and experience of a 54 year old. Mind you, some companies are asking whether a retirement age of 60 is too restrictive given the talent shortage and they are exploring extending this to 65.

Leverage on your forte and strengths. HR generalists with  stock knowledge in one practice area e.g. training and development, compensation, labor relations etc are well sought in the market. What would this be in your case?

You do not mention using an executive search company. If you have not done so, that channel to reach potential employers should also be tapped.

You have been two months out of a job. The usual timeline for executive searches span easily 6 months to a year. I recall an HR colleague who uses that as a rule of thumb to make sure there is enough cash flow to tide him over during that period.

 As to the compensation, it may be unrealistic to use your former pay as the basis for accepting a job offer. I suggest you review your spend items and see where adjustments if any can be made. After you land a job and show your worth, you will probably be able to match what you used to earn and even exceed this.

As an interim step, join a consulting company and leverage your experience in industries you have worked in. This may even be your gateway to employment with a client company impressed with the way you professionally delivered on your services.

You are silent about your personal circumstances. This time is a perfect opportunity to take stock and prepare for the new adventure ahead. While going through the job search, there may be time for volunteer work for your community, parish or civic organization. You will be surprised how these can open doors to an employment opportunity.

 I’d also advise you to read  Richard N. Bolles’ What Color Is Your Parachute, a manual for job-hunting. It has been my “Bible” for job hunting and tool for helping job hunters.

Happy reading and here’s wishing you success!