Dr. Mariska Van der Horst, associate professor at Vrije University in Amsterdam, presents findings … [+]
As people age, they internalize stereotypes about what it means to get older. Once they arrive at what they perceive to be ‘old’, their decisions are influenced by the lens of the internalized stereotypes they carry, including decisions around work and career. What they think they can or should do is then impacted by ageist beliefs they place upon themselves, often resulting in self-exclusion from continued training and development opportunities or the ‘right’ to work altogether.
During last week’s 2019 Annual Gerontological Society of America Conference (GSA) in Austin, Texas, Drs. Mariska Van der Horst, assistant professor at Vrije University in Amsterdam, and Sarah Vickerstaff, professor, the University of Kent in Canterbury, provided insight on how older workers make employment decisions using internalized ageist narratives.
After conducting 104 interviews with employees over 50, Van der Horst explained that older workers feel pressured to “present as young, fit and able” and that “prevalent stereotypes of aging workers are both enacted on older workers but also embodied and reproduced by them.”
The Myth of Age Norms
Age norms are social constructs that perpetuate ageist thinking. Defined as social rules for everyday actions dictating the timing and sequencing of significant life events (e.g., marriage, parenthood, retirement), age norms constitute a social clock or script that influences attitudes and behavior.
Dr. Sarah Vickerstaff is internationally recognized for her research on older workers.
In Van der Horst and Vickerstaff’s research, age norms lead employees to internalize myths such as being ‘too old’ for training and promotion or changing jobs and that they should leave the opportunities ‘to the younger ones.’
“If people accept the age stereotypes as being true when they are not (or not to the degree of the stereotype), it is unlikely that the stereotypes are challenged and adapted,” said Van der Horst.
For employees who buy into the myths about older workers, the career paths they take will likely be directly influenced by them. “If respondents do not challenge what it means to be old, then they are likely to base their labor market decisions on these stereotypes once they self-identify as being old(er) and can afford to do so,” she added.
How Organizations Can Help Break The Cycle
Ageism is complex and often subtle. As a result, it impacts the workplace in a myriad of ways. Organizations have an opportunity to help employees understand their own biases by facilitating workshops on unconscious bias and exploring how employees feel about the spectrum of talent management. For organizations whose employees hold internalized ageist beliefs related to their career, these three questions can help identify the root cause and strengthen internal processes and policies to help shape an age-friendly workplace.
- What drives the fear?
- Does ‘aging in the workplace’ pose a real threat or perceived threat?
- What examples, experienced or observed, lead employees to believe that the workplace is not age-friendly?
Organizations desiring an age-friendly environment can start by looking at age-related employee demographics. Cross-referencing age demographics with the available talent, as well as internal training and promotion data, ensures equitable processes.
Additional age-friendly recommendations can be found in “Age-Inclusiveness Is Easier Than You Think: First Steps To Get You Started.” Dr. Vaneeta Sandhu, a leadership trainer specializing in cross-generational dynamics and generational inclusion, suggests several easy-to-implement processes that will help older workers feel more welcome.
Vickerstaff, whose work on older workers is internationally recognized, suggests one way to change the workplace culture for older workers is to hire more of them.
Read Van der Horst’s published study on internal ageism for additional information on her research and the findings. Van der Horst and Vickerstaff’s current research is focused on understanding ageism and its link to disablelism in order to tackle and counter the effects of discrimination. Follow their work here.
