Ageism
appears to be alive and well and no we’re not referring to the thousands of older
workers who face discrimination in their search for work. We are talking about
the veiled questions faced by candidates who are regularly asked “do you think
you have enough life experience to do this role?” which could be misconstrued
as “are you old enough?”
A
BBC Points West interviewer even asked the new Bristol Labour prospective mayoral
candidate Marvin Rees this on TV. Instead of looking at age, interviewers
should look and evaluate the candidate’s real experience. Is 15 years in one
job going to give a candidate more experience than one who has travelled and
perhaps worked for three different employers experiencing a range of management
styles and roles?
Whatever
the position, whether it is The Mayor of Bristol or an office manager,
interviewers need to base their decisions on a person’s knowledge, skills and
attitude. Just as important is a candidate’s drive, energy and motivation as
this can’t just be taught. Above all, the old adage that The HR Dept lives by
is “if you are good enough you are old enough”
