Ageism in Media, a missed opportunity in Diversity and Inclusion

If you are serious and genuine about Diversity and Inclusion, you need to also think about ageism.

While more organizations are (talking about ) ramping up their D&I efforts, it’s still apparent that most simply focus on what they believe the market wants to hear:– LGBTQI and people of colour.

After patting themselves on the back they conveniently forget that that in the Media industry ageism is a massive issue when it comes to hiring practices.

It already starts with people over 40 are finding it really tough to secure jobs even if they don’t mind not being next in line for a promotion or a fast-track career path.

In many cases, they just want to do what they are good at and have employers benefit from their experience, even if they are not earning top dollar.

There is a big misconception that “older” too expensive, set in their ways, and less willing to learn.

Based on my experience working with many in their 40s and above, that’s really not the case, and leaving these people out of the consideration set is a huge missed opportunity.

They are often loyal, efficient and bring a sense of maturity to the workplace that is often sorely lacking.

If you are working on creating a more diverse and Inclusive workplace, please be genuine and don’t forget to think about including the more experienced workers too.

They have a wealth of value to bring to the table and together with the younger employees they bring a great balance to teams, effectively making them more efficient, whole, and truly inclusive.