Older job seekers, who often have a tough time finding employment, now face another painful reality: Social media isn't their work buddy.
Dozens of companies are recruiting workers with ads on Facebook that use "age-based" microtargeting _ a system designed to connect clients to millennial job prospects.
But this hyper-focused approach has a dark side: It can prevent older job hunters from getting equal access to career opportunities posted online, and that smacks of age discrimination.
Facebook and their corporate clients should wise up and dump this ham-handed strategy before it spirals out of control. Aside from being potentially ageist, unfair and legally suspect, it reduces a company's employment possibilities by ignoring qualified, older job candidates.
In short, it is target marketing that misses the mark.
A ProPublica and New York Times investigation found that a raft of well-known companies _ including Amazon.com, Verizon, Target and Goldman Sachs _ placed Facebook recruitment ads that were limited to particular age groups.
The report said Facebook, which is relatively new to selling job recruitment services, encourages clients to select its target audience and then uses its deep data reserves to find those users.
Facebook followers that fall outside the parameters of a company's selected group don't see the ads, according to the story.
Facebook isn't backing off. It defended the practice as a unique client service. In an email statement to me, the company also said: "We completely reject the allegation that these advertisements are discriminatory."
Critics argue that companies are using Facebook to deliberately avoid people over 40 years old.
A class-action complaint alleging age discrimination was filed in federal court in San Francisco by the Communications Workers of America union and on behalf of Facebook users over 40 who may have been denied an opportunity to learn about posted jobs.
The court will determine if discrimination is occurring.
But there's little doubt that companies are eagerly pursuing younger workers, especially with a national unemployment rate hovering at 4 percent.
A quick review of online ads for telecom, health care, logistics, consulting and other large industries gives you a feel for what attracts talent.
Throughout, the corporate imagery is of smiling young men and women who are active and happy in their work. One ad featured a grinning fellow with his baseball cap on backward; another showed a group of folks enjoying a golf outing.
Nice work if you can get it.
It's a sad fact that when older people are out of work, it takes a long time to get rehired.
Let's not be naive. Employers are concerned that these candidates will cost more and don't have the technological savvy needed to keep a 21st century business humming.
What's more, younger bosses may have some trepidation about hiring workers who are close to their parents' age.
Of course, the counterargument is that this is a load of nonsense _ a convenient and lazy excuse for not evaluating an entire marketplace, including mature workers with the skills and temperament to be successful in the right company.
Facebook _along with the companies that buy ads on their sites _ isn't helping this situation when they post ads only young adults can see.
What's more, this may not be a very smart financial decision, particularly if a company runs afoul of the Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibiting age bias in hiring procedures.
Break that law and you risk paying hefty legal bills along with multimillion-dollar settlements or judgments.
Sure, the rich and mighty Facebook can afford it, but is this nascent sales tactic worth the risk to the company's coffers and reputation?
Last summer, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stopped in Chicago as part of a nationwide tour _ sort of like a rock star. He made warm and fuzzy comments about Facebook's commitment to building community.
Here's one way to accomplish your goal, Mr. Zuckerberg: Drop this problematic micromarketing push and let everyone see those invaluable help wanted ads on Facebook.
That's what a work buddy should do.
