Ageism and Interim Management
The introduction to this blog post should discuss what is ageism, why it exists, and how interim management helps with ageism.
Ageism refers to discrimination in the workplace due to one's age. It often manifests in the form of exclusion or marginalization of older workers. It also takes the form of employment policies that are not only offending but also threatening their livelihoods and financial security, such as mandatory retirement ages and denial of promotions on account of their (the worker's) age.
A variety of policies, practices and organizations promote ageism, such as the exclusion of older workers from open positions or promotion for new hires; policies which require older workers to retire at specific ages or early retirement schemes (involving give-backs, early retirement and/or replacement by younger workers); organizations that limit the number of hours that older workers can work in a week and/or refuse overtime pay; undue emphasis on younger employees' abilities over those of older ones; higher rates of accounting for individual performance stemming from their age; different pay scales for men over age 50 than for women; etc.
Career interim management is defined as "the management by people who have not yet been hired. It is done by an organization's management team, who will eventually hire someone new, or by an organization which has decided not to hire anyone, but rather use its own staff on a temporary basis. Interim managers are often hired as a contingency plan. This usually means that they are employed while the existing leader is away on vacation or otherwise temporarily unavailable." The term "interim" means "between times" and is used to emphasize that these managers are hired/temporary and will not be considered as regular employees when their contracts expire. Usually their contracts span for 1-3 months (and sometimes even less than 1-3 months). Overall, there are several benefits to this kind of staffing arrangement.
As you can see in the above definition, interim management is the management of a staff on a temporary basis. This contrasts with an employment contract that may last for one year or even longer. In these cases, the employer (you) has to provide for financial and other benefits to provide their employees' continuity in their work lives. In the case of interim managers, they are only there on a temporary basis to provide continuity, carry out a specific project or work with a specific team and/or department.
The necessity of interim managers is due to several factors. For example, they are used when:
Another reason is that instead of hiring a new leader, an organization can use the knowledge already in place that can save them money and time. In the past, organizations had to go through months of recruitment process before they could actually hire someone which can take considerable time and money. Further, some organizations may prefer to use their current employees than recruit new ones who may or may not perform as expected.
If you are not familiar with the term "interim management" or "in interim management", here are some articles that you should read on this subject:
Articles by Aljosha Zarcone:
Ageism and Interim Management
Work With One Eye Open – Ageism, Interim Management and the Employee of Today
Ageism in the workplace- What it is, how it can be avoided, and what it means for us today.
My Experience With Age Discrimination- A story about my experiences with age discrimination when interviewing for jobs. (A very important article to read if you have been discriminated in an interview).
My Interim Management Experience- My experience with interim management. (Provided insights and tips on how to be successful in interim management)
Ageism and Interim Management Job Interview Experience – A job interview is a very critical moment in your career. It can either lead you to employment or can end up ruined. This article will help you to get through an interview without getting your heart broken by age discrimination.
Articles by others:
"False Expectations" – An Interview with "Trevor" who experienced Age Discrimination when he was interviewing for a job that went to someone younger than him. (This is a great article on the topic of false expectations especially if you have been discriminated in an interview).
Interviewing In Your Late 50s? Ageism, Interim Management and the Employment of Today – An interesting article on whether it is better to be older or younger when it comes to employment.
Business "Underground" – A discussion on Interim Management and age discrimination.
Jobs in Canada: Age Discrimination, Interim Management and the Employment of Today
A very interesting article solely on age discrimination in Canada.
5 Tips to Deal With Age Discrimination During Job Interview (A humorous article on handling complaints related to age discrimination during a job interview).
I hope this post has been helpful if you have experienced any form of ageism in your workplace (especially if you have "interim management".) You will also find some useful tips on how to deal with it.
Sources: http://www.onlineopinion.com/node/396250 , http://www.forbes.com/sites/janicebaron, http://www.human-resources-today.com and the website of the Canadian Human Rights Commission mentioned above (if you are interested in contacting CPHR for any complaint, you can access its website at: www.chrc-ccc.gc.ca).
Here is a fairly new term that has been recently brought to our attention by the Rights of Older Workers in Canada Facebook page . This term is called "Age-Proofing". According to its website, it is defined as "An administrative and management technique that prepares the workplace for a future where there will be fewer younger workers and more older workers by adjusting certain practices to accommodate this demographic shift. This technique can vary from organization to organization based on the needs of its business."
According to data in Canada, the percentage of people aged 65 or above will be approximately 25% by 2030 while the percentage of people between 15 and 64 years old will be 69%. This increase in older workers (as well as their representation at work) has raised concerns about what changes need to take place in order to accommodate them.
Conclusion
Based on the above facts, we can see that there are employers who discriminate against older employees in hiring and promotion. In many instances, these employers do so because of fear or stereotypes about older people (such as "they are slower" or "they're too expensive") rather than considering the employer's actual needs and requirements. The biggest challenge that younger workers face is their inability to understand the needs that some older workers have particularly when it comes to things such as flexibility and adaptability. Further, they they have a tendency to stereotype most older people as being less capable than them which I believe is not always true especially if they are being mentored by someone who has experience in the workplace.