Workplace Benefits from Wisdom of Older Workers

With age comes wisdom.

Yet aside from teenagers looking to get into an over-21 nightclub, many people over 40 seek to look their age or younger. This is especially true in the workplace; many people enjoy the credibility of looking their age.

True, anti-aging products are big business, and according to research, some people appear younger through natural self-presentation.

But, there is nothing wrong with embracing the benefits of years of valuable experience.

When misbehaving, children are often reminded to act their age.

And some adults have been advised not to act their age when competing with younger prospects — whether personally or professionally.

Why not?

Psychologists Irina Gioaba and Franciska Krings, both with the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, examined how proactive impression management in a job interview setting can impact age discrimination.

They recognize the importance of such research in light of the increasingly aging population that exists in most industrialized societies, along with a current workforce that is age-diverse.

They sought to study how impression management could be used to debunk common stereotypes of older workers in a job interview setting.

Although they found that older applicants who utilized impression management techniques — to contradict frequently held stereotypes of older workers  — were viewed as more hireable than those who did not use such techniques, discrimination and age bias persisted.

Yet, many employees have found that instead of trying to look and act younger, they achieve both professional respect and personal satisfaction through capitalizing on their experience and institutional knowledge, using their cultivated expertise to benefit the company and their co-workers.

Workers Can Be as Wise as They Look, and as Be as Young as They Feel

Part of the charm of the veteran employee is their likability as role models and mentors.

Enthusiastically pouring into the younger generation, many older employees are delighted to encourage and inspire younger workers looking for advice or direction.

As older adults re-enter the workforce or decide to work longer (especially with more remote working options available) they benefit from longer life experience.

Bringing a combination of insight, intellect, and investment in raising up new leaders, veteran employees demonstrate that the well-loved adage that we are "only as old as we feel" may apply both personally and professionally.

Wendy L. Patrick, JD, MDiv, Ph.D., is an award-winning career trial attorney and media commentator. She is host of "Live with Dr. Wendy" on KCBQ, and a daily guest on other media outlets, delivering a lively mix of flash, substance, and style. Read Dr. Wendy L. Patrick's Reports — More Here.