Ageism at Work: Valuing Multi-generational Teams

Workplace ageism, though rarely discussed openly, can create barriers to building high-performing multi-generational teams in many organizations. With five generations now in the workforce, from the Silent Generation to Gen Z, understanding and addressing age bias has become a business imperative for managers seeking to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Failing to value each generation's strengths impacts productivity, innovation, recruitment, and retention.

The Complex Origins of Workplace Ageism

Ageism refers to stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination against someone based solely on age. In the workplace, ageism can target both younger and older employees. Though ageism impacts people of all ages, older adults tend to face the most severe repercussions in hiring, retention, and promotion.

Ageism stems from complex social norms, organizational cultures, and psychological tendencies reinforcing stereotypical assumptions. For example, older employees may be viewed as less energetic, resistant to change, tech-savvy, or lacking skills. Conversely, younger workers may be perceived as inexperienced, uncommitted, or needing more profound knowledge.

Of course, chronological age reveals little about an individual's capabilities, potential, or performance. Yet biases persist, often unconsciously, leading to intergenerational friction. Ageism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as misconceptions cause managers to limit opportunities and discourage collaboration between age groups.

The Costs of Ageism for Organizational Success

Left unaddressed, ageism results in tangible costs, especially as global demographic shifts lead to workforces growing older on average. According to the World Health Organization, ageism reduces workplace productivity by 3-5%. Researchers from the Age Discrimination in Employment Act have estimated the annual costs of age discrimination in the US to be over $850 billion.

Bias against mature employees leads organizations to overlook seasoned professionals who could contribute meaningfully for years longer. Simultaneously, stigma towards younger talent creates barriers to fresh thinking and new skills. Innovation suffers without diverse voices at every career stage.

Additionally, age bias erodes employee engagement across all generations, fueling turnover as workers feel devalued or passed over for opportunities. With recruitment and retraining expenses high, retaining experienced staff alongside emerging talent is critical for organizational resilience.

In short, ageism negatively impacts productivity, innovation, knowledge transfer, and retention when generational strengths are not recognized. However, an age-inclusive culture that honors the assets of all employees, irrespective of age, can yield enormous benefits.

Building Age-Inclusive Multi-generational Teams

Addressing ageism requires acknowledging generational biases and creating conditions for strengths-based, intergenerational collaboration. Though shifting mindsets takes concerted effort, several promising practices are emerging that managers can adopt:

Foster Intergenerational Mentoring:

Peer mentoring programs pairing younger and older workers enable reciprocal coaching grounded in respect. Younger staff mentors more seasoned team members on technological or cultural competencies. Veteran employees coach emerging talent on institutional knowledge, emotional intelligence, or specialized skills from decades of on-the-job learning.

When structured thoughtfully, mentoring crystallizes interdependence between generations while transferring niche capabilities. This supports productivity and retention simultaneously.

Offer Multi-Generational Professional Development:

One-size-fits-all approaches to training and advancement often overlook diverse learning styles, life-cycle priorities, and generational strengths. Managers seeking to disrupt ageism can advocate for professional development opportunities tailored to various career stages.

For example, digital badges allow employees to showcase expertise gained from workshops or stretch assignments. Badges recognize capabilities beyond tenure, paying dividends for veteran employees with deep organizational know-how and junior staff bringing fresh, relevant skills.

Incentivize Cross-Generational Collaboration:

Age-diverse project teams allow for complementary strengths. Higher performance becomes more likely when incentives reward intergenerational collaboration – whether through public recognition, desired assignments, or compensation benchmarks.

Managers can reinforce teamwork across age groups by establishing inclusive leadership criteria. For example, considering how employees leverage generational diversity in solving complex problems or making tradeoff decisions can signal the value of leveraging multidimensional perspectives.

Rebuild Biased Talent Processes:

From recruiting tactics to performance reviews, workplace processes and templates frequently convey ageist assumptions that disadvantage talented candidates or employees.

Pay equity analyses help identify life-cycle biases in compensation. Skill-based resume parsing can reduce age discrimination inherent in some applicant tracking systems. Broadening definitions of cultural fit or creating competency matrices using inclusive language allows for broader representation.

While shifting embedded systems takes patience, updated HR practices help organizations "walk the talk" around age equity.

Ageism will only disappear with deliberate efforts from organizational leaders and talent management teams. However, the payoffs for mitigating age bias and bridling generational strengths are immense.

Fostering intergenerational collaboration leans into workforce longevity and emerging competencies simultaneously. An age-inclusive culture that invites cross-generational contribution empowers employees to bring their best selves to work. And when multi-generational teams leverage their collective potential, creativity and performance reach new heights.

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