I recently read an article by Fast & Company about ageism, in which they cite a study conducted by the Transamerica Institute. The study found that more than 35% of those surveyed believe a 58 year-old job candidate is too old to hire. For many of us in this category, our late fifties is the perfect time for one last career move, but those days may be fading.

So, what is ageism? Like many other “isms,” it is making a choice not to hire someone based on a specific factor, in this case, their age. Robin Ryan, a career counselor and contributing writer at Forbes, noted in her recent piece, “How to Find a Job if You are 55 Years or Older,” that she has “noticed an uptick in prospective clients over 55 who are actively job hunting. Mature workers are facing a tougher job market. New jobs for those over the age of 55 are few and far between, and many people aged 60 or older are hitting a solid barrier preventing them from getting hired.” Whether laid off or seeking that last swan song, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for “mature” folks.

In late 2023, Pew Research published an article by Richard Fry and Dana Braga argued there is growth in the older workforce. They note that since the early 1980s, “the older workforce has nearly quadrupled.” More specifically, in 1987 about 11% of the working population were 65 or older. That number is now 19%, which aligns with the 1960s. While there may be specific reasons for this increase, such as changes to retirement practices, social security, and even better health, it does not align with the fact that Americans who are in their late fifties are struggling to get hired. The reasons for ageism may be varied, but can include prioritizing younger talent, older workers have more experience and thus expect a higher salary, or believing older talent is not as “up on technology,” to name a few.

The Center for Workplace Inclusion lists five reasons why older workers “propel success.”

• Older workers tend to be livelong learners and they are adaptable, both of which are attractive qualities in an employee. As such, it costs less to retain older workers.
• An older worker has been with a company for a decade or more, they have built a strong institutional knowledge that cannot be easily replaced. And given their years of work experience, they have naturally become problem solvers, especially those at higher levels.
• Older workers are more dependable. They take less sick time, they are loyal, and they have a strong work ethic.
• Mature workers tend to have strong interpersonal skills and value customer service.
• Finally, multigenerational teams often exceed expectations.

These reasons are great, but you may have noticed that many of them speak to “retaining” mature employees versus hiring them as a “new” employee. Carolyn Crist, in her article entitled, “A Hiring Paradox: Employers Say They Value Their Own Older Workers, But Overlook Older Applicants,” shared research from Generation, a global employment non-profit and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It showed that surveyed hiring managers considered applicants between the ages of 30-44 to be more desirable, but those same hiring managers reported that 89% of their mid-career and older workers performed well or even better than their younger counterparts. Crist notes, “However, these values seem to disappear during the hiring process.” And while the hiring managers reported that 83% of older workers learn “as quickly—if not more quickly than younger hires” hiring managers still were more hesitant to hire older workers due to concerns around adapting to rapidly changing technology.

However, Crist goes on to point out that not all is gloomy. According to a Bain & Co. report as it is predicted that by 2030, workers aged 55 and older will make up 25% or more of the workforce.

Where does that leave us “mature” workers now?

Many mature job seekers, especially women, resort to trying to “hide” their age on applications and resumes. However, that is challenging due to our ever-increasing digital footprint. And even if you can effectively do so, job applications often ask for the year you graduated from college, which means they can do the math. Recommendations to network are great and valuable, however, no matter how much you network, if resumes are being screened for age, you likely will hit that ageism wall. Networking, however, can get you past the HR screening, which allows you to plead your case with a hiring manager.

The answer rests with human resource managers and hiring managers to open their eyes to the incredible talent in front of them. As noted, mature workers bring with them not only a toolbox filled with well-used tools, they also bring expertise, maturity, sound decision-making, adaptability, an eagerness to learn and contribute, loyalty, and a strong work ethic. It’s time to look more carefully at the entire pile of resumes and actually screen for the experience, skill sets, etc., needed to for the role versus cutting the pile in half based on an applicant’s age!

And to my fellow “mature” workers – don’t give up hope. Keep applying. Keep networking. Keep keeping on—a hiring manager will see your potential and place your resume in the right pile!

Best,