Ageism and stereotyping: No one talks about the potential of workers 50plus. Why is that?

I know a woman named Helen in her late 50’s who is leading a major transformation at a energy company. As she was staffing a key project, someone from HR uttered in a matter-of-fact tone: “Oh, we shouldn’t take him. He’s over 50.” What struck Helen was the way the HR person said what she said. It was casual. It was like the practice was commonplace.

Over the years, my interest in gender diversity led me to explore the topic of ageism and age-based stereotypes and biases. When I was studying philosophy in Poland in 2019 and 2020, at the age of 57, I did a lot of research on the topic of aging. A year later, I began to publish stories about how I was feeling and what I was observing.

Ageism can broadly be defined as how we think, act and feel about others based on their age. It can be directed at younger people or older people. Often, it’s not an aggressive or overt type of discrimination. It’s usually subtle. Like when your boss tells you, “No, you can’t take that training course. You’re over 55.”?

Since when did company policies say training budgets are only available to young workers?

The problem I have with all this is the message that workers #50plus are sent and what that does to their spirit. Since others begin to act as if these individuals are invisible, older workers may actually become more invisible. They may begin to hide themselves because it’s somehow expected of them. They have a sense of resignation, as if they’re no good anymore, when that is far from the truth.

But with the demographic transition and the labor shortage things are improving, and rightly so. As a worker in her 60s with no plans to stop working and studying, I want to see the changes happen faster.?

Older workers – join me and raise your voices!?

I want to encourage older workers to become more vocal about how they are treated – to speak up and remind people that not only are they capable, they bring in special skills and experience. HR should be celebrating: These skills may be hard to find in times of the so-called Great Resignation.

I also want to inspire experienced workers to behave in ways that fight the common stereotypes: that older people are not good with technology, they’re expensive to keep around, they’re sick often, and they aren’t motivated to learn anymore. I can tell you from experience: These are just stereotypes. And they’re unfair. This could apply to anyone.

It is my wish that workers of all ages reflect on their potential biases and companies actively create a working environment where people of every age can bring in their strengths and contribute.?

A changing narrative – for both young and old

In the past, the dominant narrative was that young people have to climb the career ladder, and, at some point, the older ones must balance the stirrup so the young ones can mount the horse and gallop off to take a victory lap. We have a phrase in German that people use like this: Steigbügelhalter.?Now the narrative is changing, thanks to younger generations that are fed up with promises of a good life later, in exchange for a life out of balance now. The young ones are simply not willing to wait two decades to have an impact and have a career. They want that while they are having children.

I am doing a lot to support younger women in their personal and professional development. And I am more than willing to help them into the saddle. But I am a passionate rider myself (I started riding horses in my mid 40s), and I want to continue.?

I believe we’re at an interesting point in history: The younger generation and the older generation are both designing a new narrative – a narrative of helping each other into the saddle. I want to see us all ride together.