It is true that companies in many countries are not allowed to decline job applicants because of their age. While there are certain drawbacks, I contend that these are eclipsed by the benefits, making this approach a net positive.
On one hand, the given policy might lead to several issues. Firstly, applicants may not be up to standard, resulting in issues for the initial recruitment and later operations. For example, older people may have limited technological skills, while their younger counterparts may be inexperienced and not as committed. Another problem is the differences caused by generation gap, which include work-related perspectives, as well as technical abilities. This means employees of different age groups may not work effectively together, and teams with a broad age range are likely to be unproductive. However, these issues can be mitigated by the implementation of clear rules, and team leaders should also provide timely support and extra training to catch those lagging behind to speed.
On the other hand, I contend that removing age from the criteria used for recruitment has more benefits. The first is that companies would be able to focus on more important criteria, such as whether applicants can commit to their applied positions and satisfy related technical requirements. In other words, the companies would be able to find more suitable candidates, who could contribute more effectively than those who are given preferential treatment because of their age. Another advantage is related to the diversification of age demographics. This is because team members from different generations can share their work experiences and technical expertise. This would cultivate a dynamic environment, where young employees can benefit from the wisdom of more experienced workers, and the more experienced can be motivated to upgrade their skills.
In conclusion, there are disadvantages related to recruitment procedures when companies are not permitted to reject job applicants due to their age. However, these can be remedied with more effective regulations, and this policy can result in the recruitment of more qualified candidates, who are not restricted by their age, and the cultivation of a dynamic workplace.