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Ageism means treating someone unfairly because of their age, especially if they’re 45 or older. People might think older workers are slow or not good with technology, but that’s not true. And ageism in the workplace usually happens during hiring, promotion, and during social events like:
Ageism in the workplace can manifest in various subtle and overt ways, like:
- Job ads that say they want ‘young,’ ‘recent graduate,’ or ‘energetic’ employees sound like they are really looking for younger people.
- Some people think older workers can’t learn new things, so they don’t include them in training programs.
- Inappropriate jokes or comments about a person’s age.
- Taking away older employees’ jobs or tasks they used to do without good reasons or proof they aren’t doing well anymore.”
- Older workers might get low scores at work or unfair complaints just because people think they can’t do a good job due to their age.
- Older workers often don’t get promoted even if they deserve it, because younger people are chosen instead.
- Pressuring older employees to retire even if they are capable and willing to continue working.
- Older workers are excluded from social gatherings, networking events, or professional circles.
- Firing older workers just because they’re older, thinking they’re closer to retirement and won’t be as affected.
A Senior Living Survey revealed that 41% of senior employees were passed up for raises or promotions, 27% of older workers received unwanted jokes, and 27% experienced harassment or bullying.
Why is ageism a problem in the workplace?
In workplaces, it’s not right when people suffer unfair treatment because of their age. This is ageism, causes problems in many ways:
- Unfair Treatment: Older workers are sometimes treated badly, affecting their chances for jobs or promotions.
- Losing Experience: Older employees have lots of useful experience. Ageism means losing this valuable knowledge.
- Lower Work Quality: Unfair treatment due to age, they might not work as well, making the workplace not so good.
- Bad Atmosphere: Ageism can make employees not like each other, making the workplace unhappy.
- Missing Great Ideas: Ignoring older workers’ skills means missing out on smart ideas and creative solutions.
- Legal Trouble: Treating people unfairly because of age is against the law and can get companies into legal problems.
- Feeling Sad: Ageism can make older workers feel worthless and alone, hurting their feelings and making them sad.
Stopping ageism is important to make sure everyone is treated nicely at work, no matter how old they are.
Building an inclusive work environment
It’s important for workplaces to treat everyone equally, no matter their age. But some older employees still face unfair treatment because of their age, which stops workplaces from being completely fair for everyone.
Consider the following statistics:
- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported 195,958 age discrimination charges between 2013-2022
- According to AARP, 41% of older job seekers were asked—either on an application or in a job interview—to provide their birth date, graduation date(s), or other age-related information.
- AARP also noted that older adults received job offers at a rate that is 68% lower than younger candidates
- Hiscox survey discovered that 44 percent of employees report that they or someone they know experienced age discrimination in the workplace.
Benefits of Supporting Older Talent
Treating employees unfairly because of their age is wrong. By refusing to hire older candidates, you may miss out on the great benefits of having more senior workforce members like:
- Expertise and experience – Older employees know a lot because they’ve been working for a long time.
- Lower training expenses – Many older workers have learned a lot and got better at their jobs over the years.
- Mentorship opportunities – Older workers can teach younger colleagues what they know. This helps younger employees learn and grow, and it helps the company plan for the future.
- Strong work ethic – Older workers often work hard and take their jobs more seriously because they understand the importance of hard work
Tips to Address Ageism in the Workplace
Making sure you treat fairly, no matter how old they are, is key to having a workplace where everyone feels happy and a part of the team. When others judge people based on their age, they might feel left out. But when everyone gets equal teatment, the workplace becomes a friendly and welcoming place for everyone to work together.
Here are some strategies you can use to foster a more age-friendly workplace:
- Implement age-inclusive hiring practices.
— Teach the people who hire employees about unfair treatment based on age. Show them how it affects people and ways to hire without being unfair about someone’s age.
— When you’re advertising jobs, don’t ask for age-related info like birthdates. Also, don’t ask when someone graduated. Instead, focus on what skills and qualifications the job needs. Use language that includes everyone, no matter their age, to be fair. Refer to 6 Ways to Avoid Age Bias in Your Job Descriptions and 3 Job Ads That Might Have Age Discrimination blogs for more information.
— Use blind recruitment tools where personal information like age is hidden
— Structure interviews to focus on the candidate’s competencies, experiences, and problem-solving abilities rather than their age or past experiences.
— Include individuals of different age groups in your interview panel to avoid age-related prejudices in the selection process.
Outside of hiring, you can:
- Teach employees about age discrimination, unfair judgments, and stereotypes in training sessions. Show them how to talk and act nicely with coworkers of all ages.
- Check company rules to make sure they are fair for everyone, no matter their age. For instance, look at retirement rules to make sure they’re not unfair to older workers. Also, use words in company messages that include everyone, regardless of age.
- Make a workplace a place of respect, no matter how old they are. Talk about older workers who did a great job. Tell everyone to work together, no matter their age, so they can share good ideas.
- Teach everyone new skills and technology at work. This shows you care about everyone’s learning, no matter how old they are. Also, let older workers teach younger ones, so everyone can learn from each other.
- Make rules that say everyone should be treated the same at work. This stops people from being mean to others because of their age.
- Let employees work in different ways, like from home or with flexible hours. This helps everyone, including older workers who might be getting ready to retire.
- Support groups at work that talk about age differences. These groups help people discuss age-related topics and come up with ways to be fair to everyone.
- Ask workers how they feel about work to find out if age differences are causing any problems. This helps make the workplace better for everyone.
- Check if your company is fair to all ages. See if older employees are getting promoted or joining training programs. If you see any problems, think about how to make things better for everyone, no matter their age.
Why I wrote this:
Treating everyone fairly, no matter how old they are, is super important. If we judge people just by their age, we won’t see how smart and skilled they are. When you treat everyone well, they get to share their great ideas and talents, making the workplace better for everyone.
It’s not just about being fair; it’s about making our workplace stronger and more creative by including people of all ages. And Ongig can help recruiters like you to write job descriptions that appeal to candidates of all ages. Please request a demo to learn more.
