Some of the ways we talk about older adults can be damaging

“Older workers are a fantastic asset to employers. They’re a really important part of a multigenerational workforce. So we really believe all ages bring something to the table. And counting older workers out is only going to hurt you,” says Heather Tinsley-Fix, senior advisor on financial resilience at AARP, the nonprofit working to empower people over the age of 50.

Tinsley-Fix outlines the strong reasons to hire older workers as part of a multigenerational workforce. “Older workers tend to bring a lot of skills to the table in terms of experience in their professions, but also in terms of these durable human skills, skills we often call soft skills that are difficult to hire for. These are things like being able to make judgment calls, relationship building, negotiation skills, communication, management, and leadership.”

In her role, Tinsley-Fix works with job seekers, employers, partners of the AARP, and academics to highlight inclusive practices that promote an age diverse workforce and erase barriers to employment for older adults.

A big part of that, she says, is raising awareness about bias against older workers, something that is often not done consciously. Tinsley-Fix says it’s time to flip the switch on ageism. “Ageism is so embedded in the way that we view the world. It’s such an unconscious way that we see things. It starts from when you’re young and so that makes it unconscious.”

She points out that older adults can be just as guilty as younger adults in how they use words to create a gulf between the generations.

“I think that’s the key. A lot of ageism is unconscious and it makes it, sort of, acceptable in the workplace to make comments like ‘that was before your time’ or ‘you’re too young to know about that’ or ‘I’m having a senior moment’ or ‘do you think you’re going to be able to keep up’?” explains Tinsley-Fix.

She adds: “I think, bringing it into consciousness, having the conversations, driving that awareness is really key to combating ageism in the workplace. It’s part of a culture shift, and that takes time. But awareness is the first step.”

Heather Tinsley-Fix spoke with me on the subject of age, ageism, and economic wellbeing as part of the Age in America series, a collaboration between WorkingNation and Scripps News Network which began in June.

Watch a clip from our interview below.

Why you should hire an older worker | Age in America | Heather Tinsley-Fix

Have you heard the term “durable skills”? Employers have, and most say it is a priority when it comes to hiring. These are skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. And older workers have them. Still, employers are missing out because of hiring bias against older adults.

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