New research from WerkLabs, the data and insights division of The Mom Project, shows rampant ageism during the hiring process and in the workplace. The survey of more than 700 professionals over the age of 40 shows three out of four professionals surveyed have experienced ageism during the job search. More than half (53%) indicated ageism within their workplace. Ageism is most prevalent in financial services (85%), advertising and marketing (84%), and technology (81%).
"Anything from language used in job descriptions to a hiring manager telling a prospective employee he or she is 'overqualified' can be considered age discrimination," said Dr. Pam Cohen, President of WerkLabs and the study's lead author. "Our goal with this study was to not only identify what constitutes ageism but also where employees are witnessing it the most in order to provide organizations with actionable solutions to overcome and prevent this illegal discrimination."
Ageism in the Hiring Process
Sixty-four percent of respondents reported ageism during initial screening conversations and 63% during post-screen interviews, while 69% of respondents reported their job search had been derailed by face-to-face conversations with hiring teams. A whopping 95% who experienced ageism admitted to physically concealing their age in interviews.
Ageism in the Workplace
The 53% of respondents who experienced ageism in the workplace described discrimination based on their age by lack of opportunities for career advancement, being overlooked for a promotion, or not receiving training to necessary for upward mobility.
According to the study, the majority of employees don't report age discrimination to human resources.