Matthew Urwin put it best: “Despite the fact that older employees are often the most knowledgeable and experienced members of the workforce, they’re often overlooked in favor of younger, less experienced workers.”  In a recent article on builtin.com, he noted: “As of 2020, workers 50 and older made up over a third of the U.S. workforce, and one in four U.S. workers is expected to be 55 or older by 2030.”

Yet despite these growing  numbers, a survey by WerkLabs found that 60% of older respondents indicate that they have encountered ageism in their professional lives. Of those people, a whopping 75% experienced it in their job search. Plus, a 2019 AARP survey found that nearly three out of five workers aged 45 and older have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. Seventy-six percent of these workers see age discrimination as a hurdle in finding a new job.

Research also indicates that women are more often impacted by ageism than men. For example, “Ageism, Gender, and Self-Esteem: Examining the Experiences of Older Women and Men,” a study in the Journal of Women & Aging, found that women more often experienced being treated as less competent, having their opinions disregarded and being discriminated based on their appearance. “Ageism is a significant issue for older adults, particularly for older women who may face additional challenges related to gender discrimination,” the study concluded.

As PR professionals, we have the opportunity to help reverse attitudes and reframe the conversation, starting with DE&I programs, which have become fully integrated into most organizations, including PRSA. The time has come to add ageism it to the agenda. According to Ashton Applewhite, one of the top 50 Influencers in Aging and author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, “Ageism prevents older workers from finding challenging work of which they’re eminently capable and relegates them to jobs that all too often neglect to take advantage of their skills and experience.”

Like all of the other “ism’s,” this area is founded on misconceptions that communication professionals can help change.  These include (as paraphrased from Applewhite’s book):

• The inability to master new skills: In fact, older workers score high in leadership, detailed-oriented tasks, organization, listening, writing skills and problem solving.

• Aren’t creative: “Mixed-age teams have been shown to be highly productive in areas that require creative thinking, like R&D and marketing.”

• Can’t handle stress: The truth, writes Applewhite, is that “experience equips older workers to put crises in context and ride out office drama. Age confers coping skills.”

• Are sick and out of work more often:  Conversely, older workers tend to be highly reliable.

• Are slower: “Output is equal and is affected far more by motivation and effort than by age.”

• Are burned out: In the General Social Survey that interviewed more than 50,000 Americans since 1972 found that people over 64 are happiest in their work.

If you are looking to expand your own pr department, consider these additional benefits of hiring a professional with years of experience:

• Writing skills mostly likely will be exceptional based on years of experience honing that most critical foundation of public relations.

• Many older workers have extensive experience in both corporate and agency work, including many owning their own consulting firms. Most are empty nesters with fewer family obligations but the energy to burn and eagerness to work hard. As either fulltime staff members or subcontractors, these professionals offer extraordinary value, as hourly rates are often lower compared to level of experience and capabilities.

Applewhite quotes Historian David Hackett Fischer who found that “Workers over 60 and even over 70 are absent from work less often, have fewer accidents, work more harmoniously with others, are judged by their supervisors to be more dependable, show better judgment and are generally superior to younger workers both in the quality and the quantity of their output.”

What role can a pr professional who sets the tone for organizations play in reshaping this dialog? Perhaps we start by emulating Cher’s attitude, who at 77 is still going strong. She said:

“Some guy said to me: Don’t you think you’re too old to sing rock n’ roll? I said: You’d better check with Mick Jagger.”

Other action items to consider include:

• Create an ageism ERG – Employee Resources Groups (ERG) have become a valuable tool for organizations wanting to give specific segments of their employee teams a voice and support from colleagues who share similar issues and challenges.

• Reword your DE&I mission statement – Look at all of your DE&I communications and initiatives to insure they are inclusive of older workers.

• Build community alliances – Every community offers a host of organizations that serve the needs of older workers. For example, the Age Friendly Institute promotes “access to services and opportunities for people as they age.” It features a program that recognizes age-friendly workplaces where employers intentionally recruit and support candidates age 50 and above and offers a “Certified Age Friendly Employer” program.

• Add your job listings on AARP’s job board:  Postings start as low as $99 and would have the added benefit of showcasing your business as open to hiring “Wisdom Warriors.”

• Reframe the conversation internally and externally:

• Create educational programs for hiring managers to reduce unconscious biases.

• Highlight outstanding older employees.

• Be bold about your openness to hiring older workers.

Career Coach Jon Cobb believes that some older workers actually sabotage themselves. He counsels his older clients to take these steps to increase their hiring chances:

• Own it! He says that attitude goes a long way and candidates who emphasize versus shy away from their longevity and experience are more likely to illuminate their value to a hiring manager.

• Narrow the focus.  Concentrating on a smaller group of “desirable” employers is a more effective path than applying through Indeed to 1,000 jobs. “Network correctly, then apply with a clear vision of your end goal,” he said.  

• Embrace the age of technology.  According to Cobb, workers with maturity have better judgment and stronger management skills, abilities needed even more in a time when technology is a bigger part of our world.

Thanks to advancements in healthcare and our own more conscious attention to wellness, the numbers of older workers eager to rejoin or remain in the workforce will continue to grow. As PR professionals, we have an opportunity to turn that pool of talented team members into stronger work forces, higher business consciousness and important social reform.

Throughout history, our industry has been at the forefront of changing the tide of public opinion. Ageism must be moved to the top of our priorities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is a global issue. “Ageism has serious and far-reaching consequences for people’s health, well-being and human rights,” according to the WHO. “For older people, ageism is associated with a shorter lifespan, poorer physical and mental health, slower recovery from disability and cognitive decline. . . one recent estimate shows that ageism costs society billions of dollars.”

Now is our chance to reshape the ageism attitude and help create real change.