It seems puzzling that the very quality that’s cherished while recruiting a person becomes a burden when the said person blows out more candles on his/her birthday cake. It’s as if they’ve suddenly lost the ability to do what they’ve been doing pretty well all these years.
The logic, if any, seems to be, ‘Sorry, you have way too much experience.’ Doesn’t make sense, does it? Because, over 50 doesn’t have to mean over the hill.
On the contrary, you have more to offer, in terms of experience, expertise and how to achieve more in less time. Experience has taught you that, and it’s not likely to fade away quickly.
So how do we address this issue while benefiting both sides?
For starters, it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. You don’t have to discard employees just because they have reached a certain age. You can still tap into their decades of experience and expertise, on a project basis, if not permanently.
An experienced person can accomplish more in less time. For example, someone who’s been writing (in the advertising industry) for over 30 years, can do in half a day what it will take someone starting out, say, 3 days. It would be a waste of resources if you let go of such talent and experiential wisdom purely on the basis of a number.
I feel that ideas are ideas. While the medium can change from print and TV to insta and X, what we say needs to be effective, engaging, insightful and original. These don’t necessarily come from youth, and nor do they not come from the experienced.
Think about it.
