Ageism in the Workplace: What It Looks Like and How to Overcome It

Ageism in the workplace is far more common than we realize. So why does it still exist and how do we mitigate it? The fact is, in many areas of our lives, we tend to emphasize differences between generations, highlighting their seemingly characteristic traits. Consciously or not, we often make assumptions about people – be it their cultural preferences, political views, or even their relationship with technology – based purely on their age. Naturally, the worldview of one generation likely differs from another given they were raised in distinct eras with unique conditions, values, and behaviors. And certainly, age influences personality: we generally think and act differently in our seventies compared to when we were 25. However, does this rather reductionist way of deciding who people are based on their age truly have value?

For HR professionals, understanding generational differences is crucial, especially during hiring, and while generational concepts might be useful for buyer profiling or social media campaigns, categorizing candidates or employees by generation can introduce a bias: it overlooks the “human” in Human Resources, i.e. the unique qualities of each individual. This article aims to shed light on and offer potential strategies to help reduce age discrimination in the workplace.

Some Common Biases That Are Too Often Accepted

Certain biases, particularly conscious ones, are more noticeable, perhaps because they’re more easily recognized. An example is confirmation bias: the inclination to favor those sharing one’s views and avoid those causing discomfort. Despite its acknowledgment, this bias persists.

Another related bias is group bias. We might overvalue our own group’s abilities, attributing our success to merit and dismissing others’ successes as mere luck. This bias, oddly accepted, can cause misunderstandings within companies.

Ageism is another bias. It encompasses behaviors that stereotype people by age, often accepting broad generalizations without verifying their accuracy. Since age is objective, these stereotypes are somewhat socially “accepted.” Ageism usually appears in three forms:

Institutional ageism, stemming from actions and policies of institutions, like schools.

Interpersonal ageism, found in social interactions.

Internalized ageism, where individuals adopt and apply these beliefs to themselves.

Though age is an undeniable biological fact, we can refrain from solely judging people by it. Especially for leaders aspiring to be role models, it’s vital to be aware of ageist language and biases. To truly understand the complexities of human behavior, we must first address our own stereotyping.