Tech workers worry about age discrimination at age 40 Study

Tech workers worry about age discrimination at age 40 StudyTech workers worry about age discrimination at age 40 StudyOn the heels of research that foundyour chances of getting hired in Silicon Valley plummet after the age of 48, a new study has found that nearly half of those already working in the industry fear getting the ax because of their advancing age.A whopping 43% of 1,011 U.S. tech workers surveyed by job search siteIndeed said they are worried about losing their position because of how old they are - and18% say theyre are concerned about the issue all the time.In addition, while millennials are becoming an outsized proportion of all generations in the tech workplace - representing an estimated 46% of workers - just 23% of respondents think millennials are overrepresented at their workplaces.Here are some other points that stood out in Indeeds research, as well as how to combat age discrimination.Age concerns in the officeIndeed found that 17% of survey respondents said the average employee age at their company is between 20 and 30 years old, while 29% of survey respondents said the average employee age is between 31 and 35. An additional 27% of respondents said the average age at their company welches 36-40 years old.That leaves just 26% of the workplace roles for staffers over 40, Indeed found.While 78% of all participants said they believe that tech workers age 40 and up are highly qualified, 36% of all surveyed also said they had at least one experience where they werent taken seriously by colleagues and managers because of how old they are.People tend to make certain assumptions about workers of older generations.Steven Levy wrote about working towards age diversity in Silicon Valley inWired in 2015(he disclosed that was 64 years old at the time).After mentioning an instance where Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg reportedly said that young people are mora intelligent while speaking to a group of entrepreneurs (which Levy said the mogul quickly retrac ted), he illustrates how this relates to the bigger picture.Nonetheless, he was reflecting a view that is widely held but seldom explicitly expressed in Silicon Valley. Older people are seen as dimmer and less energetic than those under 30. Theres a worry that having worked elsewhere, older people have ingrained habits that prevent them from adopting the fast-moving pace of innovation necessary at tech companies and especially startups. I guess in some cases that might be true - but in any age group some people will be more adaptable than others, Levy continues.Despite the fact that age discrimination against workers 40 years and up is illegal, Levy reveals how the discrimination persists.I suspect that more often than not, tech companies, particularly smaller ones, shy away from older folks, often with the flimsy justification that theyre not culture fits. Critics rightfully point out how that vague term often leads to excluding other underrepresented groups, Levy writes.Tech jobs Baby Boomers are interested inBaby Boomers were two times more likely to click on supervisory and management roles than those in the younger group, Indeedfound. That included roles like IT project manager, technical sales engineer, OPS engineer and engineering project manager.Baby Boomers were three times more likely to click on engineering roles including storage engineer, telecommunications engineer, and principal software engineer.Where older employees want to workInterestingly enough, San Jose, CA topped Indeeds list of where Baby Boomers are looking for tech employment in metro areas. San Francisco, CA followed in second place, Huntsville, AL was in third, Seattle, WA was in fourth and Boston, MA was in fifth.Notice something different about some of these data points?Interestingly, despite reports that ageism is forcing many older workers to look outside Silicon Valley, we see that the Bay Area is the main draw for workers of all ages, as San Jose and San Francisco hold the to p two spots for each generation.Its when we look a little bit lower down that we start to see differences, Indeed writes.So how can workers make sure theyre not participating - consciously or unconsciously - in age discrimination?Here are a few stepsIn job postings, watch your languageRemoving terms like recent graduate and digital native could help encourage older professionals to apply for these positions, Indeed writes.In addition, hiring recruiters should be sure to rely on age-inclusive language and practices into those existing initiatives.That might mean valuing related but not directly similar hintergrund experience or looking for people who are interested in continuing to learn on the job.Show why your age can help you hit the ground runningKerry Hannon, a speaker, author and columnist, writes in Forbes that you should market your age as a plus if youre an older job seeker who is concerned about it.Workers 50+ tend to be self-starters, know how to get the job done, and do nt need as much handholding as those with less experience. A great benefit to being older is that you have a good deal of knowledge and leadership ability, she says.Show that you have the right skills for the jobMake sure youre skilled in the latest technology, and are prepared for where your field could be heading. The best way to combat stereotypes about older workers being unfamiliar with technology is to be an older worker extremely familiar with that technology.Read up and talk to people about their work experiences to gain perspective. Go on YouTube to watch tutorials about subjects youd like to learn more about. If you dont know the answer, Google it.bxc.bx-campaign-1012255 .bx-group-1012255-lyDBLV9 width 900pxheight 550px