In the News: Efforts to Appear ‘Cool’ Could be an Ageism Trap for Employers

Birmingham partner Tom Scroggins lent insight to a recent article on ageism in the workplace:

While ageism is not a new challenge for employers, the rise of technology presents complications as many assume older workers cannot perform positions that require a high level of computer expertise.

“This can be a particular problem as millennials and even Generation Z members progress into management roles where they may have supervisory responsibilities over workers much older than them,” Scroggins said. “It would be very easy for them to fall into the trap of assuming that any worker much older than them is not capable of performing at a high level in a technologically advanced workplace.”

While Scroggins thinks few employers are overtly discriminating against employees based on age, there could be a tendency to appeal to younger generations to fill new and open positions to promote and portray a vibrant and energetic work culture, which may have little to do with getting the job done.

Training existing workers instead of heading straight to the open labor market can be a solution, especially as turnover tends to be higher in industries with many young employees. “Cross-training employees to spread skills from one employee to another can also produce tremendous benefits,” he said. “Retaining an existing experienced employee is usually more cost-efficient than replacing them with someone new.”

To read the full article, please click here.