Baby Boomers Concerned About Ageism in Workplace

While Gen Z might have their fair share of complaints at the office, it’s baby boomers who are more likely to be worried that their age puts them at a disadvantage, according to a poll published on Thursday.

In an American Staffing Association (ASA) survey conducted by The Harris Poll, two thirds, or 68 percent, of baby boomers said they believe their age puts them at a disadvantage when finding a new job. Compared to other generations, only 53 percent of Gen X said the same, with millennials and Gen Z having significantly lower rates at 29 and 48 percent respectively.

The survey was conducted online from January 5 to 9, among 2,094 adults who were 18 and older, 1,294 of those were employed. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points using a 95 percent confidence level.

For baby boomers, which consist of those aged 60 to 78, hiring managers may worry about how they can keep up with new technology or believe the applicant will soon be leaving the workforce for retirement anyway—something they don’t have to worry about when it comes to Gen Z and millennial applicants.

“Unfortunately, and from my experience as a head hunter, I see this type of discrimination firsthand,” Ally Nathaniel, technical recruiter at Soul Staffing Solutions, told Newsweek. “It is often portrayed as ‘overqualified’ or ‘will not be a good fit for the team,’ especially when it comes to women.”

Still, despite their post-retirement ages, nearly one in five U.S. adults aged 65 and older were employed last year. That was double the rate 35 years ago, showing more and more retiree-aged Americans feel financially pressured or want to remain in the workforce.

The fear of ageism may also be influencing whether baby boomers ask for a raise, as only 42 percent of employed boomers plan to ask for a raise in 2024 compared to 66 and 67 percent of Gen Z and millennials. Only 21 percent planned to search for a new job this year, too. Meanwhile, 69 and 50 percent of Gen Z and millennials said the same, with Gen X-ers coming in a bit below at 37 percent.

Nathaniel said part of this might be due to the job platforms and networking events that companies primarily use today being designed for younger workers.

“The crux of the issue of why 68 percent of Boomers think their age puts them at a disadvantage is not just ageism, which is undoubtedly pervasive, but also in a fundamental mismatch between the rapidly changing skill sets required today and the perceived abilities of older generations,” HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek. “There’s a prevailing stereotype that Boomers are less adaptable and slower to embrace new technologies.”

Driscoll said this assumption in part reflects reality, as younger generations may have a more intuitive understanding of technology since they grew up with it. Still, making this judgment in general can keep some qualified, but older workers, from excelling in roles they were built for.

“The reality is that Boomers often bring a level of strategic thinking, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills that are irreplaceable and can significantly enhance a company’s performance,” he added.

It’s not always the case that baby boomers can’t find new jobs at all though, HR consulting firm OperationsInc CEO David Lewis said. One of the biggest challenges arises when a baby boomer looks for a new job and finds that their salary offer might not fit the financial lifestyle they’ve built already.

“Baby boomers seeking work today need to come to grips with the fact that what is keeping them from landing is tied directly to their own salary requirements or desires,” Lewis told Newsweek. “A worker who is 60 plus but is willing to take the pay that someone say with 10 years of experience would command will find far more open doors. Still, easy math does not correlate to the reality of life. Most who make more through their careers build a life around them that requires higher pay.”

While baby boomers might face their fair share of unique difficulties in the workplace, Driscoll cautions against seeing them as victims.

“All this is not to suggest that baby boomers are victims. They’re not,” Driscoll said. “They’re recipients of the greatest and longest stretch of economic prosperity. Subsequent generations are effectively hindered by boomers working to change those policies to make laws and regulations more business-friendly, taking away from future generations the benefits the boomers received.”

Still, the responsibility to keep a workplace free of ageism falls on HR and company leaders, Richard Wahlquist, chief executive officer at the ASA, said.

“It’s time for a paradigm shift in how the U.S. labor market views older workers,” Wahlquist said in a statement. “Discrimination based on age is illegal and cannot be tolerated. But routing out persistent and growing ageism requires much more than stepped-up legal enforcement. Policy makers and HR leaders need to work together to correct and overcome the misconceptions, stereotypes, and biases—conscious and unconscious—of the past.”

If you’re a baby boomer who feels you’ve been discriminated at work and would like to share your story, contact us at [email protected].