For founders trying to grow their business, but AI has made everything feel more complicated than it used to be.
Gendered Ageism is Real And It Sucks
3/27/20267 min read
Here's What You Can Do About It
After over two decades of entrepreneurship, one thing that has become abundantly clear is the issue of ageism, especially toward women. In a time when the media, marketers, and employers continue to glorify millennials and even begin to focus on Gen Z, it seems GenX and older are being put out to pasture.
This became a glaring reality when a corporate recruiter advised me to “hide my age” on a resume, and a friend in a high-ranking executive position told me to not state my years of experience in my cover letter.
Wait! What?? So, lack of life and business experience trumps almost three successful decades of working with global brands across various industries, generating millions of dollars in revenue on behalf of my clients, media hits in top-tier national and international media outlets, and astronomical growth?
Sadly, the answer was a resounding “yes”. In the age of equality, when we are trying our damnedest not to discriminate, ageism is very real.
According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 60% of adults age 60 and over say older workers in the U.S. are always or often discriminated against.
It’s even worse for older women. Here’s where gendered ageism comes in. The same poll shows 75% of women over 45 say their age puts them at a disadvantage when looking for work, compared with 65% of older men.
“For women, we see an early onset (cases of age discrimination), and the discrimination is much more severe,” says Patrick Button, an assistant economics professor at Tulane University. “I think there is a lot of sexism in aging.”
Supermodel Christie Brinkley (who, at age 71 is STUNNING and in better shape than most 25-year-olds) chimed in on the matter. She shared a lengthy Instagram post that underscored how older women are treated in the media.
In response to a list put out by BuzzFeed on “attractive” actresses over 50, Brinkley wrote: “The women on this list are so accomplished and have contributed so much beauty to the world with their work. But the subtle constant categorizing of women by age, making us feel like we are approaching some exponential expiration date, gnaws away at one’s confidence.”
She’s my new favorite person.
As much as we hate to admit it, even in this day and age, there are stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination toward others based on their age and gender (among other things, of course).
However, genderized age discrimination is often not taken as seriously as other forms of discrimination. It can nevertheless have the same economic, social, and psychological impact as any other form of discrimination.
Women get the double whammy: Ageism and sexism. It’s a triple whammy if you’re an older woman of color.
I never felt ‘victimized’ (for lack of a better word) simply because I am a woman. Yet, now at 53 and looking for a job, not only do I get passed by because I am “overqualified”, but I’ve also begun to feel the pressure to remain young and attractive to be employed.
Of course, men experience ageism as well, but it’s not the same as it is with women. According to an article in Forbes, Research shows that as men age they are viewed as more valuable and competent in the workplace. Women lose their credibility with every new fine line and wrinkle. Don’t even get me started on the preconceived notions when it comes to menopause.
Age bias in recruitment and negative stereotypes, including that older female workers are less productive, have more health issues, and are less inclined to take junior-level positions may affect an older female worker’s employment prospects. For the record, I have no issue taking a more junior-level position. I ran a PR company for two decades. I’m ready to wear a lighter crown.
According to an AARP report, the financial fallout for older female workers from the pandemic has been significant. While unemployment has dropped significantly since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly 70 percent of women over 40 who are still unemployed have been out of work for six months or more. Nearly one-third of older women cite age discrimination as an impediment to finding a job.
Assuming a woman in her 50s, 60s or beyond isn’t capable of doing the job is an antiquated way of thinking. This is the millennium. We are healthier and living longer. Heck, I know 75-year-old women who run triathlons and could run circles around a 35-year-old in the boardroom.
Sure younger workers come in from a different generation and can offer a fresh perspective. They also cost less (especially younger female workers). Is there really that much of a cost savings though when you have to take the time to teach a younger worker and clean up their newbie mistakes versus hiring a more experienced worker who could hit the ground running, be onboarded in half the time, and bring in their own fresh ideas based on years of experience? Personally, I’d take the well-oiled machine over one that still needs to be built.
That’s not to say that younger workers don’t bring value to an organization, but to turn your nose up at a potential employee based on age alone, especially a female employee, is xenophobic and discriminatory.
You don’t have to be a millennial to understand AI or digital marketing. You don’t have to be some young-un doing The Blue Shirt Guy Dance or "My name is Pink, and I'm really glad to meet you" on TikTok to prove you’re worthy of a job. Just because you’ve been around the block a time or two, that doesn’t mean you can’t be eager to learn, grow, and bring fresh ideas to the table.
On the contrary, the benefits of hiring older workers, especially older women, far outweigh the risks:
We are more reliable. Our party days are over, so it’s less likely we will show up hungover. We take fewer days off and pride ourselves on showing up on time. We are less likely to call in sick or skip work. We don’t make bullsh*t excuses.
Our personal lives are more settled. Unlike younger workers who are looking to get married and start a family, older women kids are grown, tend to have more stable relationships.
We make great mentors. We’ve been there, done that. We love to leverage all of our experience and trial and error to mentor and advocate for a younger generation of women in the workplace.
We’ve been through the industry (and world) changes. We’ve witnessed wars, 9/11, economic crises, and technological revolution and evolution. We have a broader perspective on your industry and know how to predict the trends that are creating change.
We have bigger business networks. Not only have we cultivated strong relationships over the years, but we are also more confident in starting and building new ones.
We have a strong work ethic. We grew up at a time when you had to be resourceful. We didn’t have Google. We had to suck it up, “rub some dirt on it”, and get the job done. We idolized hard work. In a survey by Pew Research Center roughly 75% of respondents said senior workers have a stronger work ethic than younger ones.
What can you do to prevent gendered ageism or just ageism in general?
To truly combat gendered ageism in the workplace and prevent the economic damage it could cause to the global economy, here are some things companies and hiring managers can do:
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Just because a resume states “over three decades of experience”, that doesn’t mean the candidate is too old or overqualified. We older women may be able to erase those fine lines, but we certainly cannot erase my history or experience.
The next time you see the resume of an older female applicant, take a moment to really process their experience and achievements, and what they can bring to the growth and betterment of the company.
Be intentional
I know hiring managers pore through dozens of resumes on a daily basis, but make it a point to seek out resumes submitted by older workers. Don’t simply pass them by because of the apparent would-be employee’s age.
Create a “returnships” program
Companies like Apple, Boeing, Bank of America, Walgreens, GM, and others are creating programs dubbed ‘returnships’ where they invite older workers to come back to work and have implemented specific programs tailored to older workers.
Bring age diversity into your DEI initiatives
AARP recommends the following:
Make sure age is included in your official statements on diversity.
Build age into anti-bias training.
Elevate perspectives and voices across generations.
Create opportunities for collaboration. When possible, create mixed-age and gender teams.
Sign the AARP Employer Pledge. Doing so publicly affirms your commitment to building an age-inclusive workforce.
Give older female workers managerial or supervisor roles
Research by Deloitte suggested that young managers (typically in their 20s and 30s) “took a more self-centered approach”, “preferred concrete management techniques,” and “emphasized self-motivation and self-discipline”. On the other hand, older managers (typically in their 50s and 60s) “favored a more inclusive and collaborative approach,” “relied on more intuitive and holistic techniques,” and “were more reflective”.
Give younger workers the opportunity to reverse mentor
I could use some help with TikTok. It’s not that I lack the technical skills to figure it out; it’s just not my thing. I bring other skills and talents to the table.
On the flip side, older women who serve as role models and mentors to younger female employees can have long-lasting positive effects not only on the younger employees but on the workforce as a whole.
Encourage open communication
Older workers simply communicate differently from younger workers. Sometimes, it’s like we are speaking a foreign language to each other. Ask a 30-year old employee if she or he knows what the Dewey Decimal System is or MS-DOS. They will likely look at you like you have seven heads. Meanwhile, they’re in the breakroom waxing about the metaverse and Grimes NFT, communicating in hashtags and emojis, and likely posting a live or selfie on their Insta. Yes, the struggle is real.
By encouraging all generations of workers to engage and communicate, they can begin to understand each other better, which makes for a more harmonious work environment.
As the global economy and millennials age and a new generation of female workers will soon be entering the workforce, it is imperative that recruiters, hiring managers, and companies underscore the importance of longevity and wellbeing while expanding their diversity initiatives to include age, especially among women.
Ageism may be the new sexism, but even as women become more adept at battling the latter, there is still more progress to be made. Companies need to address the issue of gendered ageism, or they won’t live up to their diversity policies and promises.
As executive coach Bonnie Marcus stated in Employment Benefit News: “Different generations can learn from each other. If younger women are to learn how to navigate the workplace and what it means to be a woman leader, they’re not going to turn to an older man. If you eliminate all those role models, you’re eliminating a factor that will help women to advance.”
Amen to that, sister!