Age bias alive and well in talent management

Age bias is alive and well in New Zealand workplaces, with more than seven in ten employers admitting an employee’s age can be a factor in talent management decisions. These include development programs, promotional pathways and succession plans.

In a survey by recruiting experts Hays of 1,516 employers in New Zealand and Australia, who could choose to remain anonymous, 11 per cent admitted that the age of an employee impacts what works for them in talent management terms. Another 60 per cent said age is ‘sometimes’ a factor.

Just 29 per cent said an employee’s age has no impact on talent management decisions.

“Age bias can work against employees of any age,” says Jason Walker, Managing Director of Hays in New Zealand. “An employee can be viewed as too young, too old or too close to parenting age by some employers, which impacts the talent management decisions they make. These could range from promotional opportunities through to succession planning.

“For instance, one manager may unconsciously question an older worker’s energy, innovation and long-term commitment, while another may unconsciously question a younger worker’s stability, capability and maturity.

“If you want to progress your career – regardless of your age – our advice is to talk about your career goals and the development opportunities available to you with your manager. If it doesn’t come up in a formal review, request a meeting so you can communicate your ambitions. If your boss is aware of your career plan, they’re less likely to make assumptions based on your age or any other extraneous factor,” he said.

This has positives for a manager as well. “By sitting down with an individual employee and talking about their career goals, ambitions and training & development needs, you remove your assumptions about a person from your talent management decisions. It may even help you identify a bias if you weren’t previously aware of it.”

Article by recruitment specialist Hays.