One of the biggest challenges in trying to promote age inclusion and fighting against ageism is the myths that surround each generation. These lead to stereotypes which can cause unconscious or conscious bias towards those either older or younger than us. At the ADF, we try to fight against these biases' by disproving the myths that exist. A recent example of this was the myth that we get less productive as we age. This can be a barrier to age inclusion on both the employee and employer side. Employers are less likely to hire older workers because they believe that they won't be as productive as their younger colleagues. This increases costs and reduces efficiency for the business. So, recruiting managers may be more favourable to younger candidates as they know they will have the efficiency required. This myth formed from older studies which stated that mature workers are less [...]

We recently kicked off the new year by discussing the main reasons why age diversity is important for businesses and why it should be a top consideration for businesses this year. In this editorial, we're going to be expanding on that and discussing the core principles of being a champion of age diversity. At the Forum, we do this using the 5 pillars. One pillar is Evidence. This means staying up to date with research and statistics about age diversity or different generations in general. This can help businesses truly understand their workforce and the benefits of having a variety of generations within it. It can also help spot potential challenges that may occur due to age differences. However, it can also help spot potential advantages of the different groups. McKinsey & Company is one good source that has done several reports on the benefits of diversity, research into debunking [...]

Happy New Year! As many of us set resolutions to improve our well-being, lifestyle and motivations, it is also important for those with businesses to consider which direction they want the business to go. Diversity and Inclusion have recently become increasingly important for businesses, however, much of the focus within that is on characteristics like Gender, Race and LGBTQIA+. We at the Age Diversity Forum aim to spread the Age Agenda and bring more awareness to age discrimination. So, here are 5 core reasons why you should consider age diversity within your DE&I plan in 2024! One benefit in terms of the business case is improved efficiency and productivity. This does come from the sharing of knowledge and learning aspects of a multigenerational team; however, motivation also plays its part. Diversity can often lead to higher motivation as workers feel more included and seen. There is also an increased camaraderie [...]

As we come to the end of another year, a year in which we have seen turbulence and unrest across the globe, can we say that these are some of the toughest times we have ever faced, with countries at war, the global economy stifled, arguments and health concerns continue, following the most widespread pandemic, and a global migration challenge that seems unequalled? Well, we guess the answer is yes…and no. These are certainly the challenges of the day, but many generations at different times in history, would have the same thoughts, as they found themselves in the face of what seemed to be impossible challenges. In all cases, a certain resilience was required and was shown, and the same resilience is required, in order to map a way through the plethora of issues so that we might find a peaceful and sustainable existence. And this is where and why [...]

In November, we released an editorial which focused on cross-generational learning and how different generations can benefit from listening to each other and sharing their different skills. Following this editorial, we released a poll asking what the biggest benefit of this form of learning was - the majority response was the passing down of experience from older generations to younger generations. In contrast, the "passing up" of knowledge from younger to older did not receive any votes. But why is this? There is almost an unspoken rule that young people should listen to those older than them for wisdom and experience but why does the reverse not exist? The line that those older "know best" is something that probably is something we have all heard once in our lives but how much truth is there to it? Do we in our youth really have nothing to offer in terms of [...]

We have previously discussed whether or not it is harder to learn skills as we get older. This week, we'll discuss whether or not our productivity drops as we age. There have been a few recent articles discussing this, so we have decided to put our own opinion into the conversation. With a third of all workers now over 50, businesses may be worried about hiring older workers or keeping them on board when the stereotypes suggest it would be more beneficial to employ younger workers. At the ADF, we aim to prove these stereotypes false. The main reason why there is probably a perception that we do get less productive as we get older is due to health. As we get older, it can't be denied that our capabilities may drop, we don't stay young and fit forever. It's also important to consider other factors such as menopause and [...]