If ageism hasn’t affected you, just wait a few years.
If you’re older than 45 and looking for a new job, prepare to spend weeks or months longer than your younger counterparts landing one. Though most midlife job seekers have the depth and breadth of experience companies desire and have spent years developing soft skills like change management and effective communication, ageism is still pervasive, and biases against older job seekers remain shockingly acceptable. The hardest hit by ageist hiring practices are women and minorities.
According to a study of 5,000 workers by the nonprofit network, Generation:
- People age 45+ make up a large share of the long-term unemployed.
- Hiring managers hold negative views of job applicants age 45+, though employers highly rate their job performance once they’ve been hired.
- Job seekers 45+ encounter the same biases worldwide.
Age discrimination is illegal and pervasive
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “Age discrimination involves treating an applicant or employee less favorably because of his or her age…. The law prohibits discrimination in any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.”
While it’s great to have that law on the books, the law in action is a different story: Few age discrimination suits are filed, cases are difficult to prove, and litigants must meet a higher burden of proof than other forms of discrimination. In the meantime, middle-aged workers and job seekers continue to endure real-life consequences, including:
- Job descriptions that use coded language such as “fresh,” “tech-savvy,” “digital native,” “high-potential,” “eager to learn,” and “energetic” to discourage middle-aged applicants from applying.
- AI application screeners that discard resumes based on offenses such as having a college graduation date before 2004, information on more than twelve years of work experience, or an AOL, Hotmail, or Yahoo email address.
- False assumptions that they’re resistant to new technology, too entrenched to benefit from training or learning opportunities, or simply “old and crabby.”
- Ageist remarks about being over the hill, behind the times, or stuck in the past.
- Unfair or disproportionate treatment from managers who have higher standards for older employees, make their lives miserable to get them to quit, or strong-arm them into retiring or accepting a voluntary severance package.
An ageist organization may be cutting off its nose to spite its face.
Research suggests that workers 45+ are more loyal to their employer and are likely to stay with the company longer. They have established networks of clients or contacts, are willing to serve as mentors, and bring additional insights to the job that a younger employee can’t. Age discrimination also has a major impact on the economy. A report from the AARP estimates that bias against older workers costs the U.S. economy around $850 billion in GDP, 8.6 million jobs, and $545 billion in lost wages and salaries.
Here are some ways to fight back
Organizations: Like other forms of discrimination, recognizing and rooting out our biases is the first step, and DEIB programs are one of the best places to start. Consider adding anti-ageism training to your diversity initiatives.
Hiring Managers and recruiters: It’s time for some serious soul searching about the prejudices you bring to your hiring practices. Changing the Narrative is a great place to start educating yourself.
Job seekers 45+: There are plenty of great resources on how to best present yourself during a job search, from age-proofing your resume to networking. Some may sound a bit insulting, like getting a wardrobe makeover or considering any work you did twelve years ago irrelevant, but others—like ditching your AOL email and getting a Gmail account—are easy and take seconds to do.
With retirement ages steadily rising, and one in four U.S. workers expected to be 55 or older by 2030, ageism and ageist hiring practices are not going away. It’s time to rethink how we view and treat older employees. The success of our workforce depends on it.
