A: Neither

According to the Centre for Ageing Better, both terms reflect ageism and ageism cuts both ways.

But the reality is, with an ageing UK population (38% of adults are over 50), ageism is most common for over 45-year-olds, sadly, it’s endemic in the workplace.

Here are some hard facts:

-          1 in 3 people aged over 50 believe they have been turned down for a job because of their age

-          1 in 5 employers believes that age discrimination occurs in their organisation

-          Older applicants are less likely to be hired in the first place and if employed, less likely to receive training

And yet, ED&I (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) is high up on the Board’s agenda. It’s believed that diversity improves creativity, productivity and employee engagement.  So why is it that amongst all the ‘isms’ ageism is the most prevalent and accepted ‘ism’ in the workplace?

I know when we receive briefs from some of our clients there is a muted understanding that the preferred candidates will have a certain age profile and job titles themselves come with a limited age expectation. Can a 50-year-old really be a brilliant Social Media Manager?

We all assume it’s to do with our cultural attitude to ageing and all that it is perceived to bring with it ‘senior moments’, being less productive, being stuck in our ways, not tech-savvy etc. ‘Cultural fit’ is often used as an excuse to positively discriminate against an individual on first sight of their CV regardless of their capability to carry out a role.

I often find myself imploring my clients to employ ‘grown-ups’ as there is no substitute for experience but unfortunately, plenty of top talent isn’t making it to a shortlist due to their age.

Perhaps it has less to do with negative stereotypes and more with tightening up the P&L. Employers are forgoing (or elbowing) more experienced highly paid professionals for younger, inexperienced people who cost less and can be worked twice as hard (sweating the proverbial asset).

Our 2024 FMCG Salary Guide highlights that it’s a buyer’s market. Currently, there is a glut of candidates and a dearth of job opportunities. Employers are offering minimum wage for maximum effort and employees are becoming more conservative in their demands.

Buy cheap, buy twice I say. It’s a fact that our younger workforce is already feeling the pressure and exhaustion of work and worryingly, Millenials and Gen Z have the highest rate of burnout and are more likely to quit their jobs due to mental health problems.

Today’s generation is looking for a lifetime of experiences not a career for a lifetime and employee welfare and work-life balance have become a higher priority than pay and bonuses.

This all leads to a revolving door of talent, and from my perspective, it’s got to be about balance and mutual respect in the workplace.

Employers need to value, retain and attract talent that has built up vital industry experience, years of honing their skills and developing their network of useful contacts and connections. These older and wiser employees carry out an important role as workplace mentors. And, in turn, employers need to invest in training and supporting our junior workforce, allowing them to learn from more experienced colleagues and helping them become more resilient in the workplace.

It’s a hot topic right now and plenty of expressions describe what’s going on… survival of the cheapest’ and ‘juniorisation’ are just two examples but, in the cold light of day, ageism is cutting both ways.

Sadly, for older people, unless you are the master of your own destiny or run your own business ageism is a self-fulfilling prophecy and a prejudice against our future selves. The employers of today will be the elbowed of tomorrow.

If you want to benchmark your value or find out the real cost of attracting and retaining talent, our 2024 FMCG Sales and Marketing Salary Guide has all the answers. Visit our website to access your FREE copy:https://www.simmance.co.uk/salary-guide/

#Ageism #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #SalaryGuide

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