Ageism: The Quiet Bias Undermining Employer Branding
Most HR leaders wouldn’t call themselves ageist. Yet a quarter of HR professionals still define anyone over 50 as “old.” That’s a definition that captures most global CEOs, countless industry pioneers, and many of your most experienced, capable, and overlooked employees.
Ageism doesn’t make headlines like gender or race. But its impact on engagement, retention, and productivity is real - and employer brand tracking shows it’s costing businesses more than they realise.
What Is Ageism - and Why Does It Matter?
Ageism is bias based on age. In the workplace, it often shows up as lazy assumptions: older employees are slower, less adaptable, or less ambitious.
The reality is the opposite. As people work longer, older employees bring stability, judgment, and expertise. But employer branding strategies rarely showcase these strengths. Too often, they’re excluded from the very roles that could benefit most from their contribution.
This isn’t just an inclusion problem. It’s a productivity problem.
The Midlife Cliff: Why Engagement Drops After 40
Wisdom’s employer brand data shows a steep change in engagement—and 40 is the tipping point:
Over 40's are less engaged and less happy than younger colleagues and they are...
3x
more likely to dislike team dynamics
5x
more likely to leave due to layoffs.
3x
5x
more likely to dislike team dynamics
more likely to leave due to layoffs.
Combine this with research from Oxford’s Saïd Business School and the impact is stark: declining engagement among older workers is costing the UK economy £3.7 billion a year. In sectors like law enforcement, pharma, engineering, finance, and healthcare, closing the gap could boost productivity by 2–5%.
Which Sectors Lead - and Which Lag?
Employer brand tracking shows some industries are doing better. Charity, environmental services, and law rank highest for age inclusion, likely because of longer leadership tenures, purpose-driven work, and more flexible career pathways.
At the other end of the scale: science, property, and tech. In these sectors, innovation is often wrongly equated with youth. The result is a sharp drop in engagement as age rises—costing businesses valuable expertise.
What You Can Do About It
The good news? Ageism is fixable. Here are five actions you can take to make your employer branding strategy more age-inclusive, backed by employer brand data:
1. Audit perceptions by age group.
Use employer brand tracking to see how different age cohorts view your company. If older workers consistently score you lower on engagement, that’s your starting point.
2. Rethink your messaging.
Too many employer branding campaigns focus exclusively on youth, graduate pathways, or “fast growth.” Showcase stories of experienced employees who contribute stability, leadership, and judgment.
3. Adapt development opportunities.
Purpose and growth don’t end at 40. Offer reskilling, mentoring, and leadership opportunities that reflect the ambitions of older employees.
4. Challenge internal assumptions.
Train hiring managers and HR teams to spot age bias in decisions. Data shows that layoff risks and promotion gaps widen after 40—address this directly.
5. Benchmark your sector.
Use employer brand data to compare your performance on age inclusion with competitors. Knowing where you lag—or lead—gives you credibility and direction.
Final Word
Ageism is the quiet bias, but its impact is loud. Companies that fail to engage older workers risk higher attrition, lower productivity, and an employer brand that alienates a key talent pool. Those that act stand to unlock a major competitive advantage.
Want to understand how different age groups see your brand? Book a demo with Wisdom and use employer brand tracking to close the gap.
Make your brand talented.
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