Combat Subtle Age Discrimination

Combat Subtle Age DiscriminationCombat Subtle Age DiscriminationYou can maintain relevance at any age no matter how subtly age discrimination permeates your workplace. Unfortunately, age discrimination, often a matter of unconscious bias, is prevalent in most workplaces. Moreover, those who are unemployed are at an even greater disadvantage. The person interviewing you is younger than your daughterand just as smart. And, they are concerned that you are older than all of your qualifikation coworkers, even if there is nothing to indicate their thoughts. Your interviewer may not know that their thoughts are discriminatory, but subtle age discrimination may be coloring their perceptions of your ability to fit within the companys work culture. Preventing Age Discrimination Employers can take steps to guard against age discrimination, but much of the onus belongs to the individual. After all, you have the most to lose. However, as in most factors related to employment, you have everyth ing to gain when you take action. If you work and youre over age 40, age discrimination is a real possibility. You cant change the attitudes and beliefs of other coworkers who may be unaware of what they exhibit or feel, but you can combat subtle discrimination by the actions you take in your workplace. How to Maintain Relevancy in the Workplace To stay relevant and combat age discrimination, do the followingStay current on the latest technology, industry-specific information, and other items necessary to stay relevant in the workplaceMaintain a healthy, professional appearance through proper grooming and dressing in stylish clothingThink outside of the box to introduce new ideas and ways to improve processes to increase workplace efficiencyUtilize strong communication and interpersonal skillsMaintain a healthy lifestyle by getting plenty of rest, managing stress, eating healthy foods, and getting plenty of exercise Maintain a Youthful Appearance Dana Anspach, a multi-credentialed r etirement planning expert, suggests that a youthful appearance can add years to your career and thousands of dollars to your income. Wear modern clothes and a stylish current hairstyle. When hiring for multiple positions, the front desk human resources (HR) administrative assistant or receptionist always flags the HR staff about their first impressions of the candidates who arrive for interviews. On a memorable occasion, whispering to an HR staff person one admin said, Gosh, this ones really old. When the HR interviewer saw the candidate, he caught her meaning right away and it had nothing to do with age. The Candidate Looked Dated The better word welches dated. Everything about the candidate was dated long hair cut straight across halfway down her back scuffed accessories skirted, pinstriped suit with a polyester bow tied around the neck that screamed the 1980s and a sad, slouched posture that made her look and seem forgettable. Properly Accessorize You should look neat and profess ional by accessorizing with attractive shoes, a handbag, a portfolio, and jewelry. Do not wear scuffed, torn, broken, or outdated accessories. Observe what the younger women are carrying and accessorize accordingly. At an HR conference, an older HR colleague carried her new handbag. At least three younger HR people approached her during the meetings to say, Oh, you have a Brighton. They thought it was pretty cool. The HR colleague didnt know it was cool. She just liked the bag. But, the Brighton bag made her cool by association- and approachable. Stay Current on the Latest Technology Stay current on new communication tools and technology advances. Technology skills make you appear savvy and contemporary. Social media is here to stay, and in order to participate, you will need to be fluent in this area. A company manager learned through Twitter that one of their employees celebrated her eighth anniversary with the company and remembered to congratulate her. Get comfortable messaging on Facebook and using other messaging and discussion tools such as Flowdock and Slack, texting, and posting on Facebook. Instant message (IM) that youthful coworker in the next cubicle, and text your meeting leader if youll be late. Embrace Change Be continually ready to embrace change so you stay relevant. You are always eager to embrace change and welcome the opportunity to gain new skills. Change means progress for you and your employer. Continuous improvement is important. Dont let your language in your workplace date you, stereotype youor make you seem irrelevant. Lead the change adoption when potential changes affect your workplace, and model early adopter behavior for younger employees. Avoid Dated Language Dont let your language date you. Reminiscing is only interesting and relevant if coworkers were born before that date. Coworkers likely are only interested in information that they can relate to personally. Thats the way weve always done things, as a reason to stay the sam e, is unattractive at any age. Its nice that you have grandchildren. But, your younger colleagues who are parents, get very tired, very quickly, of hearing that youre happy that you can enjoy your grandchildren- but then, they go home. Manage Interpersonal Relationships You own the success of your interpersonal relationships with different generations at work. Successful relationships are largely in your control, as youve had the most experience and success in creating them. Every employee should seek to respect and honor every other employee. Age Doesnt Generate Automatic Respect Your maturity does not earn you automatic respect from younger employees, who relish debating ideas and think that they know a lot. However, they have the most recent, cutting-edge ideas.Just because youve worked longer, you know more and have more experience, does not mean that your way is the best- or even that younger employees will acknowledge that you have an edge at all. Join their debate, swap ideas , and acknowledge that you also can learn from the younger generations at work. This is how you will earn their respect and generate cooperative, supportive interpersonal relationships. Stay Current in Your Industry Stay current in your field. Read, attend conferences, and converse regularly with thought leaders and colleagues. Be the first to introduce a new work process or a forward-thinking idea. Also, dont bring a dated portfolio to an interview, such as work that appeared to be 20 years old on yellowing, aged paper. Also, avoid presenting old ideas or a performance appraisal form with a checklist to grade each worker characteristic, on a scale of 1 to 5, using such words asorganized, reliable, and energetic. Stay at Your Current Job Hold on to the job you have. behauptung tips are relevant for employees at any age, but they are especially important for older workers. You dont want to hit the pavement job searching when you are over 40- the new old- unless you choose to pursue a new opportunity. As an experienced, older employee, you are in the best possible position to put these ideas and strategies to work as you strive to retain your job. Capitalize on Key Advantages You have the experience, deep knowledge, and maturity on which you can capitalize to benefit your employer. You are accountable, responsible, and savvy in ways that younger workers have yet to attain. Take advantage of your strengths and make sure that they are on display for your employer to notice- every day. Consider Changing Careers Find and transition to a new career field. Some of the saddest stories HR veterans receive are from out-of-work administrative assistants and secretaries. That world is over. Those older, usually male bosses have retiredor are retiring. Younger managers cannot imagine writing something and then passing it to an office worker to type. People who worked for years in valued positions find their skills and job duties obsolete. Take a look at your skills and resu me and consider if your skills and career choice are still relevant. You may decide that a transition to a new field of work is in order. A career change could lead you to an exciting and long, happy work life. People who have transitioned from another career into HR, for example, have shared their stories. Embark upon your own career exploration- at any age. Even if you have maintained your relevance in the workplace, you can still redesign your career if that is your goal. Bottom Line Age discrimination is prevalent even in workplaces that commit to non-discriminatory practices. Like other forms of discrimination, it is relevant, prevalent, illegal, subtle, and preventable.