The Culture of Leadership

71. The Culture of Ageism

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Have you ever declined to interview a candidate because they were over 40?  Are you in the over 40 age group? Have you yourself been the victim of ageism in your job search?  

In this episode, I’m joined by Toby Marshall, an “Ageism Warrior.”  As Toby tells it in his frank and open manner, “Ageism is JUST DUMB.”  From debunking four big myths about hiring mature workers to the “hidden” discrimination behind those noble-sounding mission and vision statements on company walls, Toby fights daily to sound the alarm about age discrimination. 

Ageism costs our communities major money – in Australia, the figure is somewhere between $600M to $1B annually in costs including lost taxpayers, paying out unemployment benefits, and even healthcare costs, as unemployed or underemployed people, can be depressed and in turn have a host of other health-related problems.

Take some time to look at your own prejudices against older individuals you encounter– at work, in your community, in the media- you might not even realize you are an ageist!

Discussion Points

• When did you become so interested in fighting ageism?
• Can you define ageism for us?
• What is going through people’s heads when they refuse to hire mature candidates?
• Have you yourself experienced ageism?
• What do mature employees offer that younger people do not?
• Debunking the 4 main myths of ageism:
  • Poor health/more sick days
  • Afraid of, or unable to grasp technology
  • Higher wages
  • Lack of innovation or creativity
• Who is most responsible for age discrimination?
• Some solutions for HR and frontline recruiters to consider to avoid ageism
• Toby, what is one major lesson that has had an impact on your leadership?
• Three key takeaways:
  • Leaders don’t subscribe to ageism
  • Leaders can laugh at themselves
  • Leaders do less talking, more listening

Resources:

Age Discrimination Warrior LinkedIn

Stable and Wise LinkedIn

Brendan Rogers Website

Brendan Rogers LinkedIn

The Culture of Things Podcast Website

The Culture of Things LinkedIn

The Culture of Things Facebook Page

The Culture of Things YouTube Channel

The Culture of Things Instagram 

If you have any questions for Brendan around this episode or generally around culture, leadership, or teamwork, feel free to contact him here.