A third of working New Zealanders are over the age of 50. They’re experienced, they’re skilled – so why aren’t they getting hired? Short answer, ageism. Do we really live in a society where being over 50 – and even in your 40s – can be considered a negative thing for your job prospects?
Aucklander Janine*, 52, has been looking for a job for nearly a year since she was made redundant. She and her husband, who have two teenagers, are scraping by on his income for now, and while Janine had been doing a little bit of contracting work, that’s largely dried up.
She’s applied for around 20 jobs, got just three interviews – and felt that her silver hair counted against her. (They didn’t ask what her age was – that’s illegal – but you can usually tell from dates included in a CV.)
“I have all the skills and experience required, but, from what I can tell, the jobs have largely gone to younger people – it’s a smallish industry so often you know who gets what job. They [potential employers] say things to me like ‘wow you’re so experienced, but we’re going in a different direction’.”
“With one job, I was told I’m overqualified. That doesn’t make sense. How can being better qualified than others be a bad thing? I wasn’t asking for more money.”
Janine thinks it’s a misconception that older people don’t get hired because they ask for higher salaries. “I apply for jobs knowing the exact salary or the salary band, and being fine with it, and so do other ‘older’ people I know. Getting something that’s paid at all is a priority!
“I also pushed hard for feedback on another job that I didn’t get, and they said they wanted someone with a lot of energy who could work for them long-term. Translation: someone younger. It’s like, well, I don’t plan to retire for 20 years! I actually have much more to offer than when I was in my 20s and 30s. I have a lot of energy, as well as focus and determination. Something you’d think employers would value!”
Often, Janine says, hiring managers are considerably younger than her. “There’s this idea that younger people will stay in the job longer. But from what I know, younger people often ‘job hop’ and older people often stay [in a job] for much longer.
“I’m tired of being overlooked because I’m not young, not massively bubbly, perhaps not seen as attractive. I don’t want to feel that I have to dye my lovely silver hair, get Botox or pretend I’m younger.
“It’s frustrating. Age should be seen as a positive, not a negative. Age discrimination in hiring is a ‘thing’ but no one talks about it. We should be able to call it out directly.”
Yes, it’s hard for anyone to ‘prove’ that their age counted against them, but often people intuitively know. And if we don’t talk about it, it remains invisible to everyone except people of a certain age.
The last taboo?
The American Psychological Association describes ageism as “discrimination against older people because of negative and inaccurate stereotypes” and calls it “one of the last socially acceptable prejudices”. Ageism is generally thought to affect people aged 50 and over, but can also affect some people in their late 40s.
In this story, we’re looking at how ageism factors into hiring (rather than the wider issue of ageism in the workplace, because that’s a BIG topic).
Nowadays, more organisations have diversity, equity and inclusion departments to tackle racial, gender and disability biases – something that includes correcting for biases in the hiring process. But what about age bias?
The BBC story ‘CV Ageism: Can You Be The Wrong Age For A Job?’ says “age-related biases are baked into the recruiting process, whether conscious or not”. It cites a research paper that “showed that ageism seems to be the only condonable prejudice”.
A New York Times story ‘New Evidence of Age Bias in Hiring, And A Push to Fight It’, reporting on a major study, says “tens of thousands of workers say that even with the right qualifications for a job, they are repeatedly turned away because they are over 50, or even 40, and considered too old”. The story adds that “it is toughest for women, who suffer more age discrimination than men starting in their 40s”.
Sexism and ageism can be a double whammy. The BBC story ‘Why Do Women Appear To Bear The Brunt Of Ageism At Work?’ says “older women are less likely to be hired than an older man, according to the American Society on Ageing – and adds that “as women show any visible signs of ageing, they are viewed as not only less attractive, but less competent”.
What’s happening in NZ?
Last year, New Zealand Seniors – an insurance provider for people aged 50 and over – released its Working Seniors Report. This was reported on in a story called ‘Is Ageism Getting Worse In The Workplace?’. The short answer is yes.
The report outlined findings from a survey of 500 New Zealanders over the age of 50. Some key numbers: 71% of respondents think ageism in the workplace is prevalent, with 30% believing it’s grown in the past five years. When it comes to hiring, 85% of respondents believe it’s increasingly difficult to land a job as we age. In fact, 29% of respondents currently working or looking for work have decided not to apply for a job because they felt their age would negatively affect their chances.
This is particularly concerning, because many of us are retiring later nowadays, whether by choice or by circumstance. The report says 41% of people over 50 have modified their retirement plans due to the pandemic, recession fears, and the rising costs of living.
Men, too
Ageism can affect women who are re-entering the workforce after time out to have children. It can affect men, too. Mark*, 48, says “ageism hit me really hard between the ages of 40 to 45. I particularly felt it as a stay-at-home dad returning to the workforce, like there was this allegedly unexplained gap in my CV – i.e. parenting – something I know many women have to deal with.
“I felt like it happened a lot. I had a particularly brutal experience: the organisation where I did casual work hired people in their 20s and early 30s who just didn’t know as much. Many left the roles within 18 months. The 12th time I applied for a job there, I said ‘you owe me an interview’ and I got one. Then they said ‘you were really close, but we’d just like to keep you on as a casual’. I felt gaslit. I told them to get f**ked.”
That’s not the actual word he used. “I replied, ‘I’m 45, and can’t just casually contribute to my mortgage. If you hired me, I’d stay until I was 65. But instead you’ll be hiring for this position again in a year, so I’m making myself unavailable for anything for you from now on’.”
He didn’t get several other jobs – despite being extremely experienced – and thinks his age was a big factor. “You can just kind of tell.”
Thankfully he found a contract that led to a job. However, he didn’t get the first job he applied for at that company. “They hired someone younger who left within a year. But I actually really value the work of my younger colleagues. My beef is with the recruiters/hirers.
“I wonder if sometimes the hirers think younger candidates will be more malleable. And I wonder if we older people, talking about our work experience in our zest to make ourselves seem valid, might come across as ‘set in our ways’.”
Elly Walsh, an events recruitment specialist, posted on Linkedin recently, saying “I’m in my late 40s, feeling like I am still 20 and still passionate about my work. So why are we [older people] being overlooked? Let’s not sugarcoat it: ageism is rampant in the events and marketing industry, and let’s face it, in most industries, and it’s time we call it out. After years in this field, I’ve seen just how much age can impact your chances of landing a job. In my 20s and 30s, I didn’t notice it because, well, it didn’t affect me. Sadly, now, it’s glaringly obvious.
“The world is getting better at addressing issues like maternity leave (not actually being ‘leave’) and mental health in the workplace, but the good old age gap is still flying under the radar! Why are we ignoring this? This isn’t about pitting one age group against another. It’s about acknowledging the biases that exist and advocating for fairer, more inclusive hiring practices. Age should be seen as an asset, not a deterrent. Let’s foster a job market that values diversity in experience, knowledge, and perspective. Age matters – and it’s high time we address it.”