Poll Results: Ageism in the Workplace

Your thoughts on employer discrimination.

Something that comes up again and again from our readers is the amount of age discrimination they believe they face when looking for a job. To examine this issue further, we held a poll asking job seekers whether they felt age has ever been a factor in a hiring decision for a job.

A whopping 84% said they believed their age was a component, while just 16% said “no.” Respondents were then asked to select their age group, with 48% falling in the 55 – 64 years old category.

Survey respondents also provided real-life examples of perceived ageism, including:

  • “I was told by the hiring supervisor, ‘I believe you are just too old to give us much time here. You’ll probably want to stay home and sit by the pool with the grandkids within a year.'”
  • “I’ve been interviewed by several job offering companies, and when they realized how experienced I was and the number of years that I have been working, the inevitable statement was, ‘You are too experienced for the position.'”
  • “In my 20s, I was the top candidate for a position, but it was never offered. I later asked the employer why, and they stated while I had all the education and experience, I did not have enough whiskers.”
  • “I’m still young and inexperienced, and employers do not like that. They don’t want to have to waste time training the new guy how to do something.”

Many job seekers felt they had faced age discrimination in their job search, from the young to the young at heart. Job seekers frequently discover they need to change their interview strategy to get around this age barrier by revising their resume, training up, or using a recruiter. After that, all you can do is make sure you’re the best candidate for the job. If an employer still doesn’t hire you, that’s their loss.

Anything else you want to say about age discrimination in your job search? Let us know in the comments section below!

Comments

  1. Robert Taylor

    Ageism is very real. I am 64 and have been looking for a job for 5 years. It is extremely upsetting, but what can be done.

    Oh well, just venting a bit I guess.

    Thank you!

    1. Myra Pearce

      Yes, same here, 62 yrs here, and have to get job training to be able to get into workforce again. My heart goes out to all of those that can’t find work! I know what you’re going through.
      Ageism is REAL!! The workforce filled with the youngnwhomhave no regard for the older generation. They want young blood they can pay peanuts, and whom can work longer.
      Myra

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