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“Young people are smarter. This phrase, uttered by Mark Zuckerberg in 2007 at a conference at Stanford University in California, is symptomatic of a technology industry that often associates youth with performance. Yet, in 2019, the Harvard Business Review reported that the average age of a successful startup founder is not 25 or 30, but 45. GSoft and URelles are co-hosting a panel on “Innovation at any age” on February 5, 2020, to break down some long-held stereotypes.
A US report published in December 2019 reveals that ageism in the workplace is widespread, tolerated and even considered the “last acceptable prejudice”.
In recent years, several employees at Google, Intel and IBM have sued their employers for age discrimination. Between 2008 and 2015, over 220 complaints were received!
Although, by law, companies cannot ask an applicant’s age during an interview, a September 2018 U.S. survey reveals that more than 90% of American workers describe age discrimination as “fairly or very common” in the workplace. 44% of older jobseekers say a potential employer has asked them about their age.
“Too old to learn!”
Martine Lagacé, author of Représentations et discours sur le vieillissement: la face cachée de l’âgisme? and professor at the University of Ottawa, explains that there is a certain popular belief that leads a large part of the population to think that a worker of a certain age can no longer adapt to change, or learn. In the technology industry, it’s often thought that they won’t be able to learn new processes or a new programming language. It’s thought that they’ll eat up a company’s salary budget because they cost too much. If it’s not the salary, then it’s the sick leave: it’s thought that these people get sick all the time and won’t be at their desks much.
An American report by the National Bureau of Economic Research asked whether there was a difference in the discrimination suffered by older women and older men. They found that older women’s CVs are recalled far less than those of men, both young and old. Gender discrimination is nothing new and, of course, neither is ageism. But combined, they create the perfect combo for older women unlucky enough to be looking for work.
If you’re in the twilight of your thirties and starting to wonder about your future in the industry, know that you’re not alone. A 2017 survey by Indeed, in fact, revealed that 43% of tech workers fear losing their jobs because of their age. And that’s 18% who worry about it “all the time”.
Let’s not forget that no one is immune to aging. We should all be mindful of how we treat our elders, because eventually, we’ll be the old folks of tomorrow.
Join the discussion on February 5 at GSoft’s offices, to hear panelists discuss ageism in technology, and offer suggestions for solutions.
Location: GSoft, Montreal
Date: February 5, 2020
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