{"id":14306,"date":"2023-11-14T14:06:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-14T07:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/?p=14306"},"modified":"2025-01-07T11:30:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T04:30:13","slug":"ageism-in-the-workplace-what-it-looks-like-and-how-to-overcome-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/ageism-in-the-workplace-what-it-looks-like-and-how-to-overcome-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Ageism in the Workplace: What It Looks Like and How to Overcome It"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: #ffffff;background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-stretch\" style=\"max-width:1216.8px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-1{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-1{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left\" style=\"margin:0;color:#1a1a18;\"><h3 class=\"entry-title fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"42\" data-lineheight=\"56.7px\">Ageism in the Workplace: What It Looks Like and How to Overcome It<\/h3><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<p><strong>Ageism in the workplace<\/strong>\u00a0is far more common than we\u00a0realize.\u00a0So\u00a0why\u00a0does\u00a0it\u00a0still exist\u00a0and how\u00a0do we\u00a0mitigate it? The fact is, in many areas of our lives, we\u00a0tend to\u00a0emphasize differences between generations, highlighting their\u00a0seemingly characteristic\u00a0traits. Consciously or not,\u00a0<strong>we often make assumptions about people<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 be it their cultural preferences, political views, or even their relationship with technology \u2013\u00a0<strong>based purely on their age<\/strong>.\u00a0Naturally,\u00a0the worldview of one generation\u00a0likely differs\u00a0from another\u00a0given\u00a0they were raised in distinct eras with unique conditions, values, and behaviors.\u00a0And certainly, age influences personality: we\u00a0generally think\u00a0and act differently in our seventies compared to when we were 25.\u00a0However, does this\u00a0rather\u00a0reductionist\u00a0way\u00a0of deciding who people\u00a0are\u00a0based on their age truly have value?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div style=\"text-align:center;\"><div class=\"fusion-image-frame-bottomshadow image-frame-shadow-1\"><style>.element-bottomshadow.imageframe-1:before, .element-bottomshadow.imageframe-1:after{-webkit-box-shadow: 0 17px 10px rgba(255,255,255,0);box-shadow: 0 17px 10px rgba(255,255,255,0);}<\/style><span class=\" fusion-imageframe imageframe-bottomshadow imageframe-1 element-bottomshadow hover-type-none\"><img width=\"960\" height=\"545\" title=\"ageism-2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/ageism-2-1.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-14307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/ageism-2-1-200x114.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/ageism-2-1-400x227.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/ageism-2-1-600x341.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/ageism-2-1-800x454.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/wp-content\/uploads\/ageism-2-1.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-bottom:30px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<p>For HR professionals,\u00a0<strong>understanding generational differences is crucial<\/strong>, especially during hiring, and while generational concepts might be useful for buyer profiling or social media campaigns, categorizing candidates or employees by generation can introduce a bias: it overlooks the \u201chuman\u201d in Human Resources, i.e. the unique qualities of each individual. This article aims to shed light on and offer potential strategies to help reduce age discrimination in the workplace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-2{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-2{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-2 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left\" style=\"margin:0;color:#1a1a18;\"><h3 id=\"h0\" class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"36\" data-lineheight=\"46.8px\">Some Common Biases That Are Too Often Accepted<\/h3><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\"><div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<p>Certain biases, particularly conscious ones, are more noticeable, perhaps because they\u2019re more easily recognized. An example is\u00a0<strong>confirmation bias<\/strong>: the inclination to favor those sharing one\u2019s views and avoid those causing discomfort. Despite its acknowledgment, this bias persists.<\/p>\n<p>Another related bias is\u00a0<strong>group bias<\/strong>. We might overvalue our own group\u2019s abilities, attributing our success to merit and dismissing others\u2019 successes as mere luck. This bias, oddly accepted, can cause misunderstandings within companies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ageism<\/strong>\u00a0is another bias. It<strong>\u00a0encompasses behaviors that stereotype people by age, often accepting broad generalizations without verifying their accuracy.<\/strong>\u00a0Since age is objective, these stereotypes are somewhat socially \u201caccepted.\u201d Ageism usually appears in three forms:<\/p>\n<p>Institutional ageism, stemming from actions and policies of institutions, like schools.<\/p>\n<p>Interpersonal ageism, found in social interactions.<\/p>\n<p>Internalized ageism, where individuals adopt and apply these beliefs to themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Though age is an undeniable biological fact, we can refrain from solely judging people by it. Especially for leaders aspiring to be role models, it\u2019s vital to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff7900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff7900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/curb-your-cognitive-bias\/\">be aware of ageist language and biases<\/a><\/span>. To truly understand the complexities of human behavior, we must first address our own stereotyping.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-3{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-3{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-3 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left\" style=\"margin:0;color:#1a1a18;\"><div class=\"fcb-wrapper\">\n<div id=\"rc_mcrc898\" class=\"rc_modal-rc898-container\">\n<div class=\"rc_modal-rc898-backdrop\">\n<div class=\"rc_modal-rc898-content\">\n<div class=\"cpcdf-outer\">Workplace Ageism Against the Old<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-4\"><div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<p>Bias against older individuals manifests in various ways:<strong>\u00a0overlooking them for promotions or training<\/strong>, despite their years of experience. Older employees are sometimes stereotyped as being \u201cset in their ways\u201d, unwilling to adapt to new systems and technologies, as well as being more prone to health issues, thus leading to hesitations in hiring or retaining them. Such biases underutilize a crucial workforce segment with invaluable experience: seasoned talent has a perspective that their younger counterparts are yet to acquire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-4{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-4{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-4 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left\" style=\"margin:0;color:#1a1a18;\"><h3 id=\"h2\" class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"36\" data-lineheight=\"46.8px\">Workplace Ageism Against the Young<\/h3><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-5\"><div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<div class=\"fusion-text\">\n<p>We tend to assume that the term \u201cageism\u201d refers exclusively to discrimination against older people, but\u00a0<strong>prejudice against younger employees is also a pressing concern in today\u2019s workplace<\/strong>. Often referred to as \u201creverse ageism\u201d younger cohorts face their own unique set of challenges, most typically being perceived as lacking experience or maturity, leading to their ideas being dismissed, or not being given opportunities for leadership roles. There\u2019s also a prevalent stereotype that Millennials and Gen Z are more prone to job-hopping and thus may not be seen as long-term investments for a company.\u00a0<strong>The other common assumption is that they are all tech-savvy<\/strong>, which can lead to young people being pigeonholed into specific roles or burdened with tech-related tasks irrespective of their actual competencies.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce, age is just as relevant as race, religion, and sexuality, and it is the responsibility of the HR department to tackle ageism in a bid to foster a genuinely inclusive company culture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-5{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-5{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-5 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left\" style=\"margin:0;color:#1a1a18;\"><h3 id=\"h3\" class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"36\" data-lineheight=\"46.8px\">Creating an Age-Inclusive Culture<\/h3><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-6\"><p>Achieving organizational success requires leveraging insights from all age groups.\u00a0Here\u2019s\u00a0how:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Design inclusive meetings and social activities.<\/li>\n<li>Conduct training\u00a0to address prevalent biases, including ageism.<\/li>\n<li>Initiate mentorship programs pairing younger employees with experienced professionals.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid pension policies targeting specific age groups.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage managers to holistically\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/assessing-soft-skills\/\"><span style=\"color: #ff7900;\">evaluate both hard and soft skills<\/span> <\/a>of employees.<\/li>\n<li>Create Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for intergenerational dialogue.<\/li>\n<li>Promote good behaviors and highlight bad ones.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage ownership and give space in the workplace for right and wrong statements. We recommend the TED Talk\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff7900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff7900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/kim_scott_and_trier_bryant_how_to_reduce_bias_in_your_workplace?language=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018How to reduce bias in the workplace\u2019<\/a><\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>Regularly review hiring and promotion practices for fairness.<\/li>\n<li>Advocate the advantages of a multigenerational workforce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-6{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-6{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-6 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left\" style=\"margin:0;color:#1a1a18;\"><h3 class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"36\" data-lineheight=\"46.8px\">Use Training Programs to Counteract Age Discrimination<\/h3><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-7\"><p><strong>When designing training programs, age diversity should be considered<\/strong>. For example, if the course is related to technology, do not create groups and levels based on the assumption that younger staff already have advanced knowledge and that older employees will need to be taught at a more basic level. Not considering what individuals know and can do based on their age is neither appropriate nor effective when managing talent; a person-centered approach is far better.<\/p>\n<p>Also, a\u00a0<strong>training program itself<\/strong>\u00a0can be used as the perfect vehicle for encouraging people of different generations to work together, which is enriching for the employees and the company as a whole. During the courses \u2013 especially when they are live \u2013 people work in groups, where they can get to know each other better, exchange ideas, and discuss both professional and personal subjects. This promotes both intergenerational and inter-divisional interaction and ultimately helps to make a company stronger.<\/p>\n<\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-7{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-7{margin-top:30px!important;margin-bottom:30px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-7 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left\" style=\"margin:0;color:#1a1a18;\"><h3 id=\"h5\" class=\"fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" data-fontsize=\"36\" data-lineheight=\"46.8px\">Do Not Assume Anything<\/h3><\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-8\"><p>Mitigating age discrimination in the workplace is a continuous process. But if we challenge our prejudices and assumptions and\u00a0<strong>create an inclusive culture<\/strong>, we can make the world of work and training fairer and more productive for everyone. We must give staff members ample opportunity to express their feelings: whether that relates to their own performance, or to the attitudes of their colleagues in regard to age. Of course, these conversations need to be handled with sensitivity and confidentiality, as oftentimes people will not feel comfortable enough within a group environment to mention the issue of ageism. The takeaway is that<strong>\u00a0we should not assume anything<\/strong>, but rather evaluate the knowledge and skills of an employee on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-bottom:30px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator fusion-full-width-sep\" style=\"align-self: center;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-bottom:30px;width:100%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-9\"><p>Author: Arlo Tickner<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 20px;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 1.92%;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 1.92%;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 1.92%;margin-left : 1.92%;}}<\/style><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-1{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 30px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}<\/style><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":14307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14306"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16995,"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306\/revisions\/16995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.speexx.co.th\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}