Older worker stereotypes overturned

A new academic study confirms that almost all negative generalizations about employees over the age of 40 are untrue.

A recently published article, Evaluating Six Common Stereotypes about Older Workers with Meta-Analytical Data by Thomas W.H. Ng (University of Hong Kong) and Daniel C. Feldman (University of Georgia) presents the findings of an analysis of around 400 studies of older workers’ performance.

The paper finds that nearly all negative stereotypes about this group are unfounded and suggests, as the number of older workers continues to increase, that managers should reconsider widely-held misconceptions that often lead to age discrimination.

The study examines six of the most common and damaging stereotypes: i.e. that, compared with younger workers, older employees are (1) less motivated, (2) less willing to engage in training and career development programs, (3) more resistant to change, (4) not as trusting, (5) more likely to experience health problems that affect their work, and (6) more vulnerable to work–family conflicts.

The authors found empirical support for only one of those stereotypes. Older workers, on average, are indeed less likely to engage in career development—an attitude that relates, at least in part, to training programs designed for younger employees. The five other stereotypes were unfounded.

For further information, see http://www.strategy-business.com/article/re00225?gko=70968

Hiring people like us

A recent report from Reuters focuses on continuing ageism in America’s Silicon Valley.

The piece starts with the story of a sixty year old who in order to nail a CEO job for which he was extremely well qualified felt he had to shave his head. Later, he “traded in his button-down shirts for T-shirts, made sure he owned the latest gadgets, and got an eyelid lift.”

Later on in the piece, an advisor recommends that to gain employment and credibility in this job market older applicants should “carry a backpack, not a briefcase …Avoid Blackberries and Dell laptops in favor of Android phones and Apple products. And above all, steer clear of wristwatches, which most younger people have replaced with the clocks on their phones.”

A 40 year old female recommends dressing young. For her first interview at Facebook, this market researcher “headed to a boutique popular with women 20 years her junior for advice on “something to look hip” and blend in.

She ditched her tailored pants and blouses for a dress, tights, and biker boots. She then got second and third interviews “and had to come up with more hipster outfits.”

Ignoring the fact that 40 is hardly old, this piece raises the issue of the extent to which ageism is a reaction to chronological age or simply reflective of the fact that people want to employ people who are like them.

In Silicon Valley, if this article is to be believed, this is taken to a farcical level and surely must be unsustainable from the older applicant’s perspective; but nevertheless the argument has some weight in other workplaces.

But – how much should older people be expected to adapt to younger models; and, more importantly, where should it stop?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/27/us-valley-ageism-idUSBRE8AQ0JK20121127

Older vs younger workers: to what degree is it irrelevant?

I was interviewed on BBC Radio Sussex last week talking about why employers should hire older workers. The piece had originally intended to focus on why they should hire older workers rather than younger workers but fortunately, in the event, they steered clear of that aspect and took a more general approach.

Much as I’m happy to comment on issues relating to the over 50s and older workers, I loathe the polarisation of young vs old that the media seem determined to pursue. Intergenerational warfare is definitely something we can do without and, I believe, isn’t an approach that reflects the views of the majority of people – old or young.

In preparation for the interview I had a quick look round for any new evidence underpinning the case for employing older workers and, fortuitously, came across an article published the previous day in the US focusing on a new survey which had been carried out by the recruitment agency Adecco.

Apparently in their study of 500 hiring managers, 91 per cent associated mature workers with reliability and 88 per cent associated them with professionalism. Older workers were also seen as having better communication skills (especially written) than those born between 1981 and 2000.

On the other hand, 74 per cent of hiring managers said that younger workers are more creative, better networkers and have more technological know-how.

So – the same old perceptions persist, demonstrating strengths and weaknesses for both groups. The danger lies however, as I pointed out in the interview, in applying group stereotypes to a situation where the skills and strengths of individuals are being assessed.

But, in reality, is it a better policy to stress to employers that they should try and achieve a balance of attributes in their workforce (e.g. professionalism and creativity) by hiring both young and old while acknowledging that neither generation has exclusive ownership, or to ignore the existence of these generational stereotypes entirely? Any views?

To see the article go to: http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20121004/WIRE/121009827?Title=Lesson-from-surveys-help-all-looking-for-jobs

New over 55s radio station

Adding new fuel to the perpetual debate about whether older people need or want specific (media) services is a new radio station – The Wireless from Age UK.  According to the press release promoting its launch the station’s raison d’être is to “celebrate later life” through providing a combination of contemporary music, current affairs and informative features.

On the plus side, the station will apparently provide helpful information to help older people make the most of later life – a very valuable service.  On the other hand, it will be staffed by radio veterans (e.g. David Hamilton) and its play list will include “soulful melodies from the 40s and 50s”. 

AND it is called “The Wireless” – a term which suggests that only elderly older people would find it of interest. Unless, of course, the name is intended to be “edgy” and provocative, with discussions to match – now that would be worth listening to.

However, it is an interesting development and it will be fascinating to see how it is received and how it proceeds. No doubt manufacturers of stairlifts, walk-in baths and cruises will find it extremely attractive.

The Wireless is now available on DAB radio across London and Yorkshire24 hours a day, seven days a week, and online across the UK at www.ageuk.org.uk/thewireless.

How to make an older worker an ideal worker

A recent blog from the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College raises some interesting questions about what employers take into account when they consider an “ideal worker” and how this conflicts with the career ambitions of many older employees.

One wonders what it will take, bearing in mind current levels of unemployment and the likelihood of prolonged recession, for employers to stop pursuing the current full-time, presentee, long-hours model of employment. Surely it’s time to take on board that those who work in ways that best suit their own situation and motivation – whatever their age – will be those who perform  at the highest levels and are the most engaged, productive and loyal?

Yet again, the ‘one size fits all’ model fails most people. These issues aren’t about age or gender but about lifestage, ability and circumstances. The more employers start to address these, the more that ‘diversity’ issues – particularly the problems of an ageing workforce – will start to recede. 

http://agingandwork.bc.edu/blog/the-ideal-worker-vs-the-older-worker/?utm_source=Huong+blog15Matz-Costa_else_12-07-25&utm_campaign=blog15+email+ELSE&utm_medium=email

 

How can we discuss ageing and retirement without a meaningful vocabulary?

I have often said that we need a new vocabulary to adequately describe the current changes that are affecting our lives in terms of longevity and extended working lives. This was accentuated last week at two events I attended on two consecutive days on the topic of retirement, health and well-being.  The first, at TAEN addressed the question Does Retirement Damage your Health?  while the second, an ESRC seminar in the excellent Re-thinking Retirement series, considered Activity, Unpaid Work and Active Ageing.

Both seminars were informative and thought-provoking, addressing a number of topics such as identity, job quality, the meaning of productive activity, motivation to work, subjective assessments of well-being and the role of continuous learning. However, at two levels, both also were ultimately frustrating.  First, insufficient attention was paid to addressing the range of objective and subjective experiences relating to retirement today, such that the first seminar really should have been entitled Does Working Longer Damage your Health?   Second, a failure to clearly define “older people” meant that the experiences of those within the fifty year age span of “older” were presented as if the factors relevant to the young old and those of significance to the elderly scarcely require distinguishing.

At every level and in every forum addressing these two issues, correctly defining who and what is under examination is essential.  Unlike birth or death “retirement” is not an unconditional experience. It has now become so varied in form and duration that in much the same way as the Inuit people have many words for snow, we too need a range of new labels to accurately represent different types of retirement and extending working. 

We also need absolute clarity about who we are referring to if we are to not to end up with unhelpful generalizations and irrelevant stereotypes.  Although chronological age is not a useful marker (a fit and active ninety year old may be more active than an unhealthy and sedentary sixty year old), we nevertheless need clear differentiation in terms of nomenclature between those who are arguably still enjoying their most active and powerful years, and those who are in decline and in need of support.

Another seminar at the ILC later this week Changing the Perception of Retirement will no doubt add some further interesting insights, contributing to changing people’s behaviours towards work and retirement.  It bodes especially well that in the seminar outline older people are described as “a very heterogeneous group”.

http://taen.org.uk/events/view/32/Does-Retirement-Damage-your-Health

http://www.rethinkingretirement.org/activity.html

http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/index.php/events/ilc_uk_and_the_actuarial_profession_debate_changing_the_perception_of

 

What motivates retirement?

“Many older people retire out of despair, not out of desire”. I was struck by the poignancy (and accuracy) of this statement which is a comment on the position of older workers taken from a recent press release from National Seniors, Australia’s consumer lobby for the over-50s.

The release relates to National Seniors’ recent report, Stereotype Threat and Mature Age Workers which reveals that many older workers’ perceived belief that they’re the target of demeaning stereotypes such as frailty, inflexibility and a fear of technology is pushing them towards premature retirement.

The report revealed that 56% of those surveyed suffer medium to high levels of what they term “stereotype threat”, with a further 42% experiencing low stereotype threat.

The experience of stereotype threat was linked with negative workplace attitudes and behaviours on the part of older workers including: lower job satisfaction; lower emotional commitment to the organisation; lower job involvement; higher retirement intentions; and greater intentions to quit.

Personal comments about this situation from older workers included several more which struck a chord, including:

“I sometimes feel that I am invisible because of my age. I have difficulty at times with getting people to include me and listen to me.”

“I’m constantly overlooked in favour of younger people, I’m starting to think I’m hopeless and useless.”

The report calls for more positive older role models, stronger anti-discrimination policies, increased training opportunities and greater recognition of mature age staff. Once again this is not UK research, but it resonates with the position of many older workers here.

You can access the press release at:

http://www.productiveageing.com.au/userfiles/file/Stereotype%20threat%20-%20Press%20Release.pdf

Ageism vs realism

There’s been a lot in the media lately about discrimination and the various “isms” – first the BBC presenter Miriam O’Reilly’s case concerning ageism and this week, the Sky football commentators being dismissed for sexism.

Both cases accentuate the extent to which although derogatory comments arguably spoken in jest (“watch those wrinkles”, “women don’t understand the offside rule”) might be innocuous at a certain level, they nevertheless inflict significant and incremental damage in terms of overall societal attitudes.

What we say perpetuates myths and stereotypes that simply aren’t true, but by saying them – and hearing and reading them – it reinforces the message that they must be.

Two news items today have emphasised this. First, a press release from LV (the Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society) summarising the findings of a new report into ageing. Their findings really aren’t anything new; they simply reinforce that 60-somethings are happier than their younger counterparts, feel financially and physically fitter and take more holidays.

Again unsurprisingly, the report shows that the definition of what is ‘old’ is different for every age group. According to the research, no one in the UK thinks they themselves are old; 18-19 year olds say 44 is officially ‘old’ while 40-somethings balk at this and say 67 is when you are actually ‘old’. Those in their 50s think you’re over the hill at 71 while those in their 60s think you’re past it at 73. Presumably they didn’t ask the over 70s if they felt “past it”.

So all this did was reinforce what we all know is reality: these days old age isn’t at all bad and starts much later than some younger people think. Why then in writing an otherwise quite informative article about marketing to older people does a journalist (or his editor) in the Independent think it’s okay to use a subheading “the booming consumer market is not young and funky, it’s old and wrinkly.” 

“Old and wrinkly” is a term that arguably is offensive even for ageing elephants. Used in respect of older people in the twentyfirst century it is inexcusable. The offence is then compounded by use of a number of other terms such as “granny friendly”

In common with many in his profession the journalist fails to specify who exactly he is talking about in referring to older people making the inevitable journalistic error of treating us all as one group, e.g. in talking about mobility aids he says, “Is it possible to make them acceptable to a generation who think they’re Keith Richards and Helen Mirren?” Stairlifts for people in their sixties – what is he on about?

Meanwhile Stannah show a greater grasp of reality by stating “They (stairlifts) are a really positive thing for people, so we talk to the extended family, the sons and daughters”. Yes, it is the sons and the daughters – “older people” themselves – who are involved in the buying decisions, not for themselves but the generation above them.

The article ends on an even worse note in terms of a lack of understanding of older people: “Stand by for an explosion in goods for the Third Age generation. Sit tight for the supercharged golf buggy. Hold on for Jean-Paul Gaultier incontinence pants. Stand by for the Philippe Starck walk-in bathtub…”

A clear reminder, if any was needed, that any “ism” is fuelled by a complete disregard for reality.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/sexy-stylish-sixty-why-pensioners-are-having-all-the-fun-2196495.html

Why do adverts irritate me so much?

Ever wondered why so much advertising is aimed at the young? And that what advertising there is which might be construed as directed towards a wider or an older market contains outdated, outmoded and very patronising stereotypes of older consumers and older people in general?

Well, one clue might come from looking at the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) 2010 Census of those working in media, advertising and marketing communications agencies. Leaving aside disturbing issues of race and gender, and looking just at age, we see that of the 18843 employees included in the census; just 5.3% were aged over 50 and 13.5% were 41-49, while 35.7% were 31-40 and a whopping 45.5% were aged 30 or below.

Granted, for all kinds of areas of activity, you don’t have to fall into a particular category to have some kind of empathy with the particular condition – but it does make you wonder. In such a self-reinforcing and self-congratulatory environment which areas and approaches do you think are going to be seen as the most attractive and most “sexy”, and also where can we get a few cheap laughs without stretching our brains too much?

The best generals, of course, recognise their own limitations and bring in relevant expertise when necessary. Let’s hope these young lions are doing this when it comes to really understanding a massive, growing and very important part of the economy.

Older consumers, older workers – it’s time the imagery changed

Last week saw the formal release of an excellent new research report “The Golden Economy – The Consumer Marketplace in an Ageing Society”. David Sinclair of ILC-UK undertook the research and the report was published by Age UK.

I went to the previous week’s ILC-UK seminar where David presented the headline findings but it was not until I had read the report in full that I saw just how much thought provoking material there is in there. Almost every section contains issues that could be dissected and debated on for some considerable time. In future blogs I hope to comment upon some of these.

As is made clear in the report there is much to be done to educate and raise awareness in the world at large, particularly the commercial world, about the needs, wants and preferences of the older sections of our society.

This blog just takes one particular aspect of the topic and flags a couple of quite serious implications.

No one, whether dealing with older consumers, older workers or older anything is quite clear where “older” starts and, indeed, the report has to rely on data from different interpretations of the start of older. However, in much everyday parlance it seems to start at about 50 years of age – hence the notion of the “over 50s”. But 50 until we “pop our clogs” is beginning to be a very long time, potentially as much as 50 years, or half our lives.

Nobody would ever dream of putting the first fifty years into one amorphous lump, so why should it be done for the second fifty? As the report identifies, there are myriad requirements associated with declining physical and mental health and isolation which markets do not yet address. But also identified is the failure to consider the requirements of the younger part of the older population which is looking much more for products and services that reflect a more active, dynamic and stylish way of  life.

Until this is changed the young marketing executives will not only miss out on all kinds of profit opportunities but stereotypes of older, confused, infirm individuals will be reinforced and perpetuated in the media and elsewhere. Not every older person eats their cheese sandwiches on a day out in a seaside fairground and wish they had gone to a different optician.

And here is the real danger. Intentional or not, that same imagery will pervade the employment arena and provide a totally distorted picture of the attributes, the energy and the value of the older worker.

 

(For more and to download the report click below:

http://www.ilcuk.org.uk/record.jsp?type=publication&ID=80 )

Where’s the Platinum Power?

I’ve been musing recently on the current attitude of the political parties to the “grey vote”. My conclusion is that, at best, they’re lukewarm. They’ve made some noises about abolishing or shifting the default retirement age and are talking about how to fund care costs for the elderly. That’s about it.

You sense that they wouldn’t do either if the over 50s didn’t represent such a large and comparatively active group of voters. After all, age isn’t sexy and it turns off younger people. And older people can be so awkward…

I’m rather a fan of New Zealand’s Grey Power movement, a voluntary organization founded some 20 years ago by a group of angry older people protesting against the imposition of surcharge on New Zealand Superannuation. Since then they have campaigned effectively on a number of fronts to make the voice of older people heard.

Grey Power’s stated Aims and Objectives are: 

1. To advance, support and protect the welfare and well being of older people.
2. To affirm and protect that statutory right of every New Zealand resident, to a sufficient New Zealand Superannuation entitlement.
3. To strive for a provision of a quality Health Care to all New Zealand residents regardless of income and location.
4. To oppose all discriminatory and disadvantageous legislation affecting rights, security and dignity.
5. To be non-aligned with any political party, and to present a strong united lobby to all Parliament and statutory Bodies on matters affecting New Zealanders.
6. To promote and establish links with kindred organizations.
7. To promote recognition of the wide-ranging services provided by senior citizens of New Zealand.
8. To gain recognition as an appropriate voice for all older New Zealanders.

http://www.greypower.co.nz/

So why isn’t there something similar in the UK? Should there be?

One of the problems here is that older people don’t see themselves as part of a cohesive group, even though policy makers and the media are very happy to lump us all together as “over 50s” or “pensioners”.

On top of this, various sub-groups of older people seem to have difficulty recognising and empathising with the situation of others. For example, many wealthy older people with good pensions (including the many employers who fit this description) don’t recognise the need for other older people to work longer. Those who are long-term benefit claimants don’t recognise the need for an economic climate in which older people can more easily start and sustain businesses and help themselves in other ways.

Another reason is that those in power who are over 50 themselves talk about “them” instead of “us” as though we are a wretched and pitiful group of no-hopers that no one would want to be associated with if it could be avoided. The Lady Bountiful approach is alive and well.

It would be good if we had an equivalent of a Grey Power group here that could cut through the self-serving twaddle that currently passes for politics and actually get something positive done. But I wouldn’t want to see it called anything Grey. That’s a bland, uninspiring image; we should aim for Platinum at the very least.

They could get off to a good start by lobbying for people to differentiate between the needs and wants of the 50-70ish group and the needs of the truly elderly. The two are a million miles apart, but our current political representatives seem unable to grasp the fact.

 

Never too old to learn

Interesting news this week concerning the over 50s and continuing education. 

A common stereotype relating to older workers is that they have an ingrained resistance to learning and are disinterested in training and development. 

Plenty of research exists to show that this is untrue.  As with all stereotypes reality lies within a range of alternatives, with only a minority being resistant (as they possibly always were) and many more being highly motivated to keep learning (with a large number in the middle being quite malleable if they can see the point).

A new report published recently by Universities UK shows that in fact the numbers of over 50s participating in university education is mounting rapidly with approximately 130,000 people aged over 50 now taking courses.

Some commentators have emphasised that this is a reflection of older people’s desire to keep learning and contributing to society, or even to retrain and embark upon a new career. This being the case, over 50’s subject choices will be as wide ranging as those of students of any age.

However many others have chosen to focus on the “older-people-are-different” model. This proposes that universities should set up centres in areas where there is a high density of retired people and offer a range of courses such as moving from full-time to self-employment, ageing healthily, human rights and environmental citizenship.

There has got to be room for both.  But God forbid that universities overlook the business opportunities inherent in the former model (including the bonus of high completion rates) in a misplaced desire to “support” older people – many of whom may be more interested in studying history or quantum physics.

Further information about the report can be found at

http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/Newsroom/Media-Releases/Pages/OlderLearnersReport.aspx