For Those Who Find Themselves Too Old for Tech

For employers “Ageism” could be a taboo topic, but it’s very much an industry reality, says veteran IT pros. Undoubtedly, the tech industry is filled with satisfying, high-paying jobs but at the same time, IT career comes with a deadline of sorts. Chances are there that after 50 you may find yourself struggling for job security and respect.

Taking hiring or firing decisions on the basis of age; do you think it is a fair concept? Explicit discrimination can be insanely tricky to prove as age may or may not have subtle effects on someone’s career- especially if the person is working in the IT industry. If we take a close look at the current scenario of the tech industry then:

People in their 20’s are worshipped as they are smart- said by Mark Zuckerberg back in 2007
People in their 30’s are tolerated. Don’t fund anyone over 30 was the unwritten VC rule back in 2007, too.
Workers in their 40’s need to look over their shoulder. Greyglers is the term used for employees over 40 at Google.
And for those who are beyond 50? Pretty hard to find. It may quite interest you to know that nowadays, CEOs over a certain age face a constant stream of when-are-you-going-retire questions.

Over the past few months, I had a word with a handful of men and women over 50 who have collectively worked with tech giants like Amazon, Dell, Google, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, VMware and others. Well, I won’t be revealing their identities and employers’ names as they weren’t authorized to talk to us. Some of them have been retired, some had been laid off, remaining others are still working under the threat of being laid off, etc.

One was a former manager at a huge global tech company. He said, “There’s definitely age discrimination.” Another 55-year-old, who was recently laid off due to his age from his senior management position at a major tech company says “Sooner or later your corporation will try to get rid of you not because you are too old but they are concerned what kind of face they put in front of their end clients.

A female employee said, about 15 years ago she was offered a job at Google at age 52. She was pretty much thrilled and strived hard to be known as a good colleague, reliable, energetic, and a quick study. As the company grew, so did their team and many new (virtually all younger) were hired around her. One of her colleagues suggested showing newbies how to do some of my everyday tasks. “You know, let the young people do it,” she said. As I recall, my reaction at the time was a mental shrug: “Yep, that’s how it is.”

Diversity and inclusion gets a lot of attention in the business world but there’s one bias that doesn’t get addressed much is the “AGE”. Well, let me suggest a few areas where the olds might get a little more job security and respect in pop culture.

Socializing

People are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work. And for those who aren’t quite a “culture fit” may cause emotional or logistical havoc. Henceforth, after-hours socializing is one of the most crucial aspects of professionalism. There are numerous ways for groups to let off steam and get better acquainted but managers require to make sure that everyone feels comfortable about socializing in whatever way and at whatever time. “Co-workers can bond over an in-office lunch or an employee picnic that welcomes families just as well, if not better, as they can over a whiskey tasting.” After all, it’s all about creating better understanding between ages, cultures, genders, and all the rest. If done badly, corporate “fun” can even lead to disaffected employees—or worse.

Career development

I personally believe that as long as you are working, professional development shouldn’t stop. Whether it’s small or large, the company pays for is geared to people starting out or wanting to climb the ladder. As a result, career help is often tied to what’s called an “up or out”.

Fortunately, there are certain programs that encourage job rotation, job shadowing, shifting to another office or partner site, etc. This concept works for all kind of employees and not just younger ones.

Mentoring programs

For effective professional development, mentoring and coaching programs are the most useful tools. Currently, technical monitoring programs are pretty much on the rise. I am glad to see more widespread mentoring programs where the over-40 crowd can make use of their experience. Moreover, it’s a valuable way to build relationships and engagement across different age groups. Staying as a mentor even helps you stay current with what’s going on above and below water.

Valuing individual contributors

Most of us want to make money, earn bigger titles and more perks but there are a few talented and dedicated people with no desire to get into the people-management business. Companies should offer a developed individual contributor track offering teams steady knowledgeable talent with depth, not breadth.

The secret benefit of getting older

Despite all the stress, worries, many techies believe that getting older isn’t an automatic kiss of death for a tech career. One of the advantages of getting older is that you have a vast network of people throughout the industry, better understanding of office politics and can work them to your benefit. The upshot is, as a tech worker you will be fighting the perception of being “outdated” as your career matures.

“If you have the energy, passion, and desire to change the world, then doing exciting things in tech in your 50s or even in your 60s is possible.”