In many countries across the world, the older generation is revered and honored. Younger people respect their elders’ perspectives, acknowledge their decades of accumulated wisdom, and ask them for advice and input. Older people play a significant role in society and continue to be influential decision-makers. Not so in the United States.
Being old is associated with being outdated, out of touch, irrelevant, and even a nuisance. Many of us fail to see the potential contributions of older people, and instead turn to more “exciting” younger people for their thoughts and perspectives. We’re obsessed with “the latest thing,” and that is apparent in how we tend to shuffle older people aside, whether we consciously realize it or not.
This ageism is especially apparent in the workplace, where an incredible 90 percent of individuals (according to an AARP survey) believe ageism is a persistent and prevalent issue. Older workers concur, with about a third of people stating that their workplace has treated them unfairly due to their age.
At this point, you might be thinking, “That’s not me. I don’t discriminate against older workers.” But is that really the case? Much of our bias is so deeply ingrained, we hardly recognize it. (I’ve written about unconscious bias in a past blog post.) As an interviewer, we might make excuses for not hiring someone because they simply did not “seem capable” or did not seem to “fit in with the company’s culture.” Is this true? Or is this coded language that is rooted in ageism?
Though ageism is bad enough, women tend to be treated even more harshly than their male counterparts. A recent Forbes article explores this topic, noting that recent research shows, “there is no ‘good’ age for women, as those in the middle-aged group of 40–60 face bias in hiring or promotion rounds due to ‘too much family responsibility and impending menopause’ and whether they have ‘aged well’ or not. Yet, jobs were actively given to men in the same age band, where family responsibilities or health were not a consideration.”
For older people, and especially older women, this is entirely unsurprising. Discrimination and bias are far too common in the workplace, and few people seem to be talking about it.
What can you, as an organization leader, DEI practitioner, or HR professional do about it? What changes can you make (or attempt to make) on both a personal and company-wide level? Here are a few ideas:
By actively addressing age-related biases and advocating for policies that protect older workers, we can work toward a workplace that values and celebrates employees of all ages. It takes a conscious effort to push back against ageism, but these efforts can create a more inclusive and equitable workplace for all.