Prejudice runs through society, it’s in the news all the time. And throughout our careers, at some point or another, we have all been judged for our age – and in the advertising and marketing industry it is a real thorn, that everyone has likely been affected by, even if you are not directly aware of it.
Well bollocks to that! Why can’t we actually look at who a person is, what is their experience, what interests them. Why can’t we change the rhetoric to – “They are young, but really enthusiastic and will bring a different perspective to the team” or “They have a wealth of experience that everyone would really benefit from”
So what does ageism in the workplace look like?
According to Natalia Authenrieth from Top Resume, ageism in the workplace takes on the following forms:
- Learning opportunities are automatically offered to younger employees — not older ones.
- Being overlooked or passed over for challenging/creative assignments. This may also look like an unfair share of unpleasant or tedious assignments given to younger employees.
- Being left out of client meetings or company activities.
- A spoken or unspoken assumption that you are not entitled to take time off for family commitments because you don’t have kids at home.
- Disparaging comments and remarks about age. This could be framed as subtle and playful, with others joking about your age, retirement plans, slow typing speed, gasping for breath while coming up the stairs, etc.
- Being passed over for raises and promotions which is tricky.
At Rooster Punk we know this isn’t acceptable, which is why in February 2021, we published a Diversity Policy – which we will continue to promote and ensure it runs through all parts of our culture. We are proud to say that here at Rooster Punk, we are lucky to have a wealth of experience, with half the company above the age of 40, which for an agency is unusual, but also a strong team of young, creative talent, who raise the bar and inspire us all.
We now live in a world of hybrid working, with a remote-first way of working so that those who are not in the office still have a voice. Creativity and innovation present themselves in a variety of forms and it is so important to use all the tools at our disposal to support a hybrid-working environment.
Looking forward to 2022, we will be investing in learning and development platforms that are designed to help our team grow. We also want to welcome graduates on board, who are looking for their first taste of marketing, so we can support the B2B marketing industry to nurture the next generation of B2B marketers.
If you would like to be part of the Rooster Punk story and are interested in joining our journey, please contact us for more information.