How Ageism Impacts The Industry & Why It Should Be Part Of DEI

Ageism is a problem across many business types, but it can be particularly prominent in the communications industry, especially for women.

The public relations and advertising industries have a reputation as being fun, flashy, and stylish. Like the beautiful imagery and messaging they produce, many in the business believe there is pressure to prioritize youth over experience.

Over the last two years, there has been a concerted industry-wide effort to recruit and hire talent with inclusion in mind. This ensures that representation within PR, communications and advertising agencies resembles the changing customer landscapes their clients care about.

Diverse thinking drives societal impact, but some wonder if ageism is still being overlooked.

As companies hire with diversity in mind, the subject of age remains complicated.

Unfortunately, that means many employee cultures are not yet learning how to deal with the issue when age bias and discrimination issues show up in the workplace.

But how did our industry get here, and why has ageism largely been ignored?

For decades brands have been focused on attracting the youth market. The meteoric rise of social media like TikTok and Twitch, the dramatic changes in consumer behaviour related to media digestion and multitasking, as well as the prominence of influencer marketing have made Gen Z the highest valued target. Unfortunately, brands and many agencies make the mistake of believing that youth is king and only young talent can speak Gen Z’s language. While this can be a relevant situation for some, it should not be the rule.

Another likely contributing factor to experience is higher salaries.

Agencies’ value proposition is often grounded in ‘fast, cheap, good.’ The industry often places more value on the fast and cheap, overlooking the tremendous value to clients in having team representation with brand history.

As George Tannenbaum. former ECD, Copy Chief at Ogilvy said,?“Ageism now is more like ‘I don’t want to payism. Agency structure now is all about making owners richer, not about the clients.”

The World Federation of Advertisers conducted an industry-wide census?that focused on key areas of inequity still impacting the advertising industry. The report found that ageism is the most commonly reported form of discrimination.

·???????27% of respondents feel that their company does not treat all employees equally regardless of age, and 36% agree that age can hinder one’s progression at their company.

·???????40% of women say family status can negatively impact one’s career, and 27% overall agree their company does not treat all employees equally regardless of family status.

47% of women with dependent children say family status can hinder one’s career.

Not surprisingly, the report found that as caregiving responsibilities stereotypically fall on older women, women’s experiences in the industry overall are consistently poorer than the experiences of men. And this is often compounded by a gender pay gap, particularly for women in the more senior roles.

?A new broad study, the?March 2022 Status of Older Workers Report, showed that during the pandemic “many older workers did not leave their jobs voluntarily but got pushed out of the work force.”

The study indicates these workers didn’t opt to leave the job market because of?the Great Resignation. Rather, it was the “Great Kick Out the Door”?

Even the United Nations published a?report on ageism ?last year. The report indicated nearly 1 in 4 workers aged 45 and older have been subjected to negative comments about their age from co-workers or managers. And 76% of these older workers view age discrimination as an obstacle in finding a new job.

Is ageism impacting your career?

Everyone ages differently, and this can have a profound impact on how co-workers perceive us. For some, 50 is the new 40, and you’d never guess their age. For others, turning a certain age like 45-50, especially in creative roles, begins the countdown to thinking about a second career, risk of layoffs or retirement. But as we age, many workers can start to see a shift at work in how they are perceived. Instead of valuing experience, some employers or colleagues may question your ability to do the job solely based on your age. This is what ageism is all about.

So how can you tell if you are falling victim to ageism?

What are some of the signs?

·???????You start to pick up on veiled wording. When management calls younger workers “fresh faces” or “new blood,” while at the same time describing older employees as “set in their ways” or “seasoned,” it can be a red flag that your company has a discriminatory mindset.

·???????You notice different approaches in how projects are assigned. When older workers are consistently being passed over, it could signify ageism. This could be as obvious as younger workers getting all the opportunities for training, promotions, and new projects. The same can apply to buyouts: this is another sign if these are only offered to older workers.

·???????You hear ageist statements or opinions. Mentioning or believing that older workers struggle with technology or don’t understand social media practices is discriminatory at a minimum.

·???????You notice differences in social engagement and interactions. Though Covid changed everyone’s way of working, especially around team building, missed invitations to team activities, happy hours with the department head or solicitations to join the company bowling team are all signs of inequality.

·???????You notice inconsistent layoff practices. It would be a major red flag if companies lay off only older workers — or eliminate their jobs and then have younger workers assume their responsibilities with a different job title.

What can you do to avoid being a victim of ageism?

When looking at our own age and everything that goes with that, many of us like to deploy phrases like “Age is just a number” or “You’re as old as you think you are.” Unfortunately, as we age, we start to see changes in attitudes, particularly at work. We all want to be judged on our experience and what we bring to the table. But be warned, some employers or colleagues may question your ability to do your job solely based on your age.

In a perfect world, the only thing that should matter in the workplace is your experience and skills to do the job. But how can you show that you have a valuable role to play? Some of these tips could help.

·???????Always try to add new things to your CV. One blanket stereotype that many older workers in the communications industry face is that they are not up to speed on technology and social media. Many recruiters and employers may wonder whether you can keep pace with ever-changing technology. You must stay relevant and show them you can. Look for online courses or look to a local community college for classes that will help you accomplish this. And then promote it on your CV or in internal communications with your boss.

·???????Be proactive in predicting probing questions you’ll face. When working in an office environment, you will inevitably be asked questions, some of which could tiptoe around the topic of age. For example, you might be asked how much longer you are planning to work. Don’t get overly personal about your future. You can deflect a bit and communicate how much you’re still learning and contributing and that your intention is to keep working as long as you can. People think things no matter how much you project a confident, positive attitude, so you might as well be prepared for anything.

·???????Project a positive attitude. Sometimes the biggest hurdle you’ll face rests between your ears. In your mind, if age is something you dwell on, it can become easy to will it into existence and create a problem that might not even be there in the first place. One trick I heard on a recent podcast was removing your age from your equation and listing your accomplishments and skills. When you break things down like that, it can shift negativity about age into positivity about everything you bring to the organisation.

How to find a company that values older workers

When looking for a new job or employer, there are some things you can do to find an organisation that believes in the value of having older, experienced workers. There is no sure-fire way to know a company’s culture as it relates to ageism, but these tips may help.

·???????Study their social media footprint. This can give you a peek into their culture. Look at the Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages and the profiles of employees. Do you see workers aged 50 and older? Are there topics discussed that are red flags on issues of age? Though by no means scientific, this background research can be a predictive tool for what you might face as an employee.

·???????Utilise the web to get intel on a prospective employer. Sites like Glassdoor (or Google searches) can provide valuable information. But as with everything online, take these words with a grain of salt as not everything you read is always what it seems.

·???????Analyse their communication and how they word job postings. Do your diligence by reviewing job ads for language that emphasizes diversity, looking for wording that shows the company does not discriminate based on age and values inclusion.

·???????Network, network, network! Use your own contacts among colleagues and friends to gain insight into how welcoming the organisation is to older workers and other tips about how to break in.

·???????If you get an in-person interview at a prospective employer’s office, scan the office. Look around, starting from the second you walk into the reception, all the way down the corridors and in conference rooms or offices. What do you see? Hopefully, a wide range of ages from young to old.

Conclusion

The issue of ageism deserves more attention in the communications industry. After all, it impacts everyone. To state the obvious, we’re all getting older, and just because you’re not suffering from ageism today doesn’t mean you won’t be in the future. And you must ask yourself this question: do you really want to work at a company that chews you up and spits you out once you reach a certain age? When younger employees witness age bias against older co-workers, it undermines their trust in the organisation too.

There does not have to be a divide between the younger employees and the more experienced, older ones. Personally, I’d do away with any industry publication “30 under 30” type lists. It just furthers the perception that finding young talent, or prodigies, is the goal.

And when you think about it, what other industry does this to the level and extent that the communications industry does? When I needed surgery, I looked for a doctor with a lot of experience in my specific condition, which usually means someone older. The same can be said about many industries.

But as we all know, culture change can be slow, and DEI initiatives take a lot of effort. DEI experts can’t change the way people think and feel overnight. Their job is to train, educate, facilitate, and influence change. A diverse, inclusive, and high-performing work culture requires collaboration across all generations to combat ageism. It is long past time!