Are we overlooking potential, or just not looking in the right places?

There’s a pattern that plays out too often: experienced women in their 40s and 50s apply for roles for which they’re qualified for, and hear nothing back. Meanwhile, far less experienced candidates are invited to interviews, and sometimes they land the job.

This quiet exclusion isn’t always intentional, but research shows it’s real, and it’s costing organisations talent and even money in some cases.

What the Research Shows

As part of my MSc in Organisational Psychology, I recently completed a mini systematic review of five significant studies on age discrimination in hiring, specifically examining its impact on women and ethnic minorities. Here are the key takeaways:

🔹 Age discrimination begins alarmingly early. In one study, employers began rating applicants as “less hireable” as early as 40 years old. For women over 40, the decline is even more pronounced.

🔹 Intersectional bias is a reality. Older Black British women, for instance, received fewer interview offers and faced lower salary expectations than their white counterparts. In roles requiring high cognitive skills, ethnic minority women were often deemed least suitable, not due to a lack of qualifications, but because of baseless assumptions.

🔹 Experience doesn’t always count. Even when older candidates showed clear capability, employers often still favoured younger applicants. The preference runs deep, despite contrary evidence.

🔹 Interventions fall short. Workshops and unconscious bias training might show slight improvements in controlled environments, but in real workplaces? The results are mixed at best. We need more robust, sustained action, not just box-ticking exercises.

Why This Matters to Employers

Many organisations claim to value diversity, yet age is often overlooked in most DEI strategies. This is a missed opportunity.

💡 Older workers bring adaptability, loyalty, problem-solving skills, and emotional intelligence. Yet, they are frequently underutilised or completely excluded from hiring pipelines.

If we want truly inclusive hiring, it’s time to look beyond the traditional candidate profile and start focusing on value, not just age.

What is your opinion on this topic? Would like to read it in the comments!

📚 References

Carlsson, M., & Eriksson, S. (2019). Age and gender discrimination in hiring: Evidence from a field experiment in the labour market. Labour Economics, 59, 173–183. 👉 Shows age bias starts as early as 40, particularly for women.

Drydakis, N., Koukli, E., & Kartianom, M. (2022). Workplace age discrimination, gender, and race. Employee Relations, 45(2), 304–327. 👉 Highlights intersectional bias, especially for older Black British women.

Lössbroek, J., Lancee, B., van der Lippe, T., & Schippers, J. (2021). Age discrimination in hiring decisions: A factorial survey among managers in nine European countries. European Sociological Review, 37(1), 49–66. 👉 Even productive older applicants rated less hireable.

Sinclair, C., Joffe, T., Ginnivan, N., Parker, S. K., & Anstey, K. J. (2024). A scoping review of workplace interventions to reduce age-based discrimination. Work, Aging and Retirement, 10(2), 61–76. 👉 Mixed results from interventions; need for more effective practices.