I recently had the privilege of sharing a conference stage with Jane Caro, broadcaster, author and unflinching truth-teller, who challenged one of the most insidious biases in modern work culture.
She said, “It’s as if fresh new ideas can only come from the young.”
It struck a chord. Not just because it’s false, but because of how deeply we’ve come to believe it.
As a performance partner to CEOs and leadership teams, I hear this subtle bias regularly, couched in phrases like “we need fresh energy” or “we’re looking for digital natives”. What often goes unsaid is,
“We’re not going to hire anyone over 50.”
Ageism (or agism depending on your preferred spelling) is alive and well in our workplaces. And it doesn’t just show up at retirement age. It kicks in around 50. Sometimes younger.
Unfortunately, women are even more at risk due to what Jane called out as the convergence of two isms: ageism and sexism. She shared that 60% of older women in Australia rely solely on the aged pension to survive. Why? Because these women, many of whom raised families, worked part-time and supported partners, didn’t build up superannuation. They did what society expected of them.
And now they are being punished for it.
The pain of this isn’t just economic. It’s existential. When we label people as “past it”, “outdated”, or “not tech-savvy enough”, we dehumanise them. And when we dehumanise people, we make it easier to exclude, ignore or overlook them.
Ageism shows up in sneaky ways. Not inviting older colleagues to the team dinner because “they won’t enjoy it”. Using terms like “love” or “dear” that may seem endearing but actually diminish someone’s professional identity. Leaving someone off the shortlist because “we need someone dynamic”.
These acts might seem small. But together, they send a clear message: You don’t belong here.
Which is a problem.
Because we need older workers.
We’re in the midst of a demographic shift. Australia’s population is ageing. We need workers to stay in the game for more years, not less. And not just filling seats, but fully engaged, learning, contributing, adapting. When we stereotype older workers as “stuck in their ways” or “behind the times”, we’re not just insulting them. We’re de-skilling them. We’re robbing them of the opportunity to stay relevant.
And we’re robbing ourselves of their wisdom.
Because here’s the truth: It’s not always the young who speak up with fresh ideas. In fact, conformity is a feature of youth. Early career professionals are still learning the rules. Often, they’re trying not to rock the boat, but to fit-in and support of their superiors.
In contrast, older workers have lived experience. Perspective. Confidence. They’re less likely to hold back, and more likely to challenge the status quo with insight that only comes from seeing cycles repeat and from the thousands of hours they’ve spent honing their skills. As Jane Caro aptly put it; “I could care less what anybody else thinks”. The advantage of gaining years is giving less F…ks!
What’s more, older workers have achieved a level of mastery that only comes with thousands of hours of practice.
My brother-in-law is a dentist in his 70’s with appointments booked 8-months ahead. He’s tends to 25+ patients a day, performing complicated procedures using finely honed motor skills that students coming out of med school can only achieve with machines. They are in awe of him and desperate for his guidance. How will graduating students achieve mastery if people like David are not still out there mentoring, guiding, and supporting them?If we want innovative thinking, we need both youthful energy and seasoned perspective.
So what can we do?
Start by being conscious of your language. Reflect on the assumptions you make about age. Include, don’t exclude older colleagues from decisions, social events and stretch opportunities. And most importantly, hire on potential and contribution, not age or aesthetic.
This isn’t about political correctness. It’s about performance. Engagement. Humanity.
Let’s stop treating age as a liability. And start recognising it as the asset it is.