Ageism in the hiring process
Ageism in the hiring process.
Ageism is an endemic problem that’s often harder to recognize than other forms of discrimination. It can be overlooked, brushed aside, and downright ignored as corporations continue to push for what’s new and what’s next. But the idea that a candidate over the age of 50 would struggle to keep up with trends and innovations is discriminate in thought and practice.
Organizations should look for skill and ability when sifting through the talent pools. But sometimes even ageism can infect the way you advertise your job or position. Terms like “young” or “energetic” or “forward thinking” can sometimes mask a company’s distaste for hiring older candidates - either as a conscious decision or a misstep in communication. Simply put ageism is discriminatory it is driven by stereotype and misinformation.
Social assumptions about candidates can also lead to ageism. If your company has four or five employees under the age of 35, you may feel compelled to hire the 30-year-old candidate over the 55 year-old candidate for fear of the older not being able to “fit in” with the rest. That is an assumption based on a stereotype.
I make sure all organizations I work for eliminate any form of discrimination from the workplace, by reviewing our job descriptions, our interview process, and overall internal communications. Exclusion is never an option for productivity, preserving institutional knowledge or improving culture.
Ageism can also work in “reverse,” where companies pass over-qualified candidates because of their youth. Number of hours worked doesn’t necessary equate to better productivity or results. Focus on skills and ability and a diverse hiring pool. Those abilities and skills should be examined and showcased through a lens that doesn’t reference the candidate’s age. Be wary of substituting “experience” for age, as that can be seen as a workaround.
What should organizations focus on? Talent and efficiency. I prefer testing someone’s ability to learn and adapt useful skills, it allows organizations to prioritize training and development, setting proper expectations via corporate design, and performance management. Those are more important to the overall health of the organization.
Keep it simple, diagnose your hiring practices, policies, and strategies and remove ageism and any discriminatory habits out of your workplace and thrive from a more diverse workforce.
#hiring #culture #talent #diversity