INTRO:
Racism, sexism, classism, ableism, genderism.
These 5 issues quite rightly shape our policies, dominate our media and inform our social consciences as we seek to build a more inclusive and understanding society.
But there is another -ism that is every bit as damaging and yet does not receive 1/100th of the attention of its more high-profile colleagues.
I am of course talking about ageism.
In a world where the merest whiff of discrimination provokes damning diatribes and vengeful condemnation of the perpetrators, ageism somehow slips through the net and gets overlooked.
Jump on any of the major job sites and you will see hosts of companies tooting the inclusivity horn for all they are worth.
Here is a classic example.
BLAH BLAH does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
Now, don’t get me wrong, this is an admirable statement. It’s great to see agencies embracing a new and equitable philosophy.
The problem is though, when it comes to ageism, it is little more than lip service.
H2: ADVERTISING IS A YOUNG PERSON’S GAME:
Wander around the majority of agencies and you will see an abundance of bright young things bustling around and doing a great job.
Interspersed amongst them you will see the occasional older person (and by that I mean anyone over 45) but only infrequently.
According to an IPA census, the average age of employees in the advertising industry is a startlingly youthful 33.9. And only 6.2% of the workforce is made up of people aged 50 and over.
So why is this?
Well, one of the reasons is undoubtedly financial. It is obviously cheaper to hire someone fresh out of college than it is to hire someone who is very senior in their field.
Having said that, the older person brings skills and experience the younger person has not yet acquired. In fact, they can often do the work of 2 to 3 new recruits.
So yes, money is a part of it, but it is not the whole thing.
H2: CULTURE (MIS) FIT:
In an agency of young and attractive 20 and 30 somethings, it can be hard to be a 50 plusser. And yes, I am speaking from experience.
For one thing, you are nearer the end of your career than the beginning. You have done the youthful exuberance and putting your career before everything else. You take a more pragmatic view of work and see it as something that is a part of your life rather than the whole thing.
Employers and potential employers know this and frankly, they don’t like this. They much prefer young, enthusiastic workers who see agency life as their raison d’etre to the ever so slightly cynical older statesman who will work hard but then go home and forget about work till the morning.
And then of course, there is the visual aesthetic. Advertising is the business of making things look sexy and young people are cool, trendy and current. They have edgy hair, cool clothes and dope music. When you show clients around the agency you can impress them with your edgy vibe and youthful energy.
But with old John in his Kmart Polo shirt and sensible shoes eating his pre-packed lunch and listening to Pink Floyd, well, not so much.
Of course, no employer or would-be-employer would ever couch this in such brutal and matter of fact terms. Instead, they fall back on the vague and imprecise ‘culture fit’ which covers a myriad of sins without landing the agency in a discriminatory lawsuit.
H2: YOU’VE HAD YOUR GO. IT’S MY TURN:
So why is it that ageism is seen as a condonable prejudice and agencies continue to get away with it?
Well, part of it lies in the whole human approach to ageing. Our society views older people as those who have already had their lives, opportunities and successes. So now, naturally, they should make way and allow younger people to have their turn.
Just go into any newsagent and you will see a proliferation of birthday cards making fun of ‘getting older.’ And that is the problem in a nutshell. We are given permission to laugh at age and mock it for its inevitable shortcomings.
I get it, I honestly do. And, as a young creative, I heartily subscribed to it too. But now, as a 52-year-old and with the orthopaedic shoe very firmly on the other foot I can see the other side of argument.
H2: BETTER WITH AGE:
The other reason why older people often get overlooked is because of the perception that they are ‘stuck in their ways.’ They have learnt a set way of doing things and are unable or unwilling to adapt to something new and different.
Well, needless to say, this is completely wrong. In fact, a number of studies conducted in both the U.S and Germany showed quite categorically that older people embrace change and new learnings better than their younger counterparts.
How d’ya like them apples?
H2: WITH AGE COMES VALUE:
With people living longer and therefore needing to work longer, it would seem that the time is ripe for a little bit of cross generational empathy.
Older marketers can be extremely valuable to an agency, bringing, as they do, a wealth of knowledge and experience and a proven track record.
But, as a closing thought as to why you should embrace older workers, I thought I would leave you with this famous inscription lifted from the Capuchin friars’ chapel in Rome. A chapel, I might add, made entirely from human skulls, pelvises and sundry bones.
“What you are now, we once were; what we are now, you shall be.”
In other words, be nice to older people cause one day you’ll be older yourself!!!!!
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