A Closer Look at the Role of Applicant Age in Selection Decisions

Scoping Review on Ageism against Younger Populations

Systematic efforts have been carried out to study ageism against older populations. Less is known about ageism against younger populations, including how it is defined, how it manifests, its effects, and how it can be addressed. A scoping review was conducted aimed at identifying available evidence on these topics. A comprehensive search strategy was used across thirteen databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Records were screened by two independent reviewers. Data extraction was done by one rater and independently reviewed by a second rater. Of the 9270 records identified, 263 were eligible for inclusion. Most of the evidence focused on the manifestation of ageism (86%), followed by a focus on the determinants of ageism (17%), available interventions to address ageism (9%), and the effects of ageism (5%). This study points to the inconsistent terminology used to describe ageism against younger populations and the relatively limited theoretical rationale that guides existing studies. It also highlights key research gaps and points to the strengths of existing research.

Mapping Brazilian workforce diversity: a historical analysis

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how Brazilian organizations have handled diversity.

Design/methodology/approach

This study draws upon the historical analysis by focusing essentially on secondary sources of data, surface-level indicators, namely, race, gender and age. Accordingly, the major sources of information used in this study are the rankings of the Great Place to Work® Institute Brazil (between 2005 and 2013) and from the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment’s reports (between 2009 and 2013).

Findings

The evidence gathered from the Great Place to Work® Institute Brazil’s lists and the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment’s reports produced mixed results regarding the moral imperative derived from the acculturation of a broad diversity mindset.

Research limitations/implications

This study is not free from limitations. Both sources used in this inquiry do not depict other relevant data that could provide more accurate results.

Practical implications

Overall, the findings of this study suggest that training programs and sound work values revision are necessary steps to reduce discrimination, stereotypes, gender bias and to promote diversity and inclusion inside Brazilian organizations.

Originality/value

It contributes to the understanding of the current diversity scenario in Brazilian organizations by drawing on a historical analysis method. It relied on two germane secondary sources of data.

An Examination of the Role of Age in Mentoring Relationships

This study examined the role of both age and age diversity in mentorships using quantitative and qualitative methodology. Based on data from nonfaculty employees of a large university, it found that the absolute age of the protégé in mentorships influenced career mentoring provided, characteristics of the mentorship, and perceptions of mutual learning. Older protégés on average experienced less career-related mentoring, had shorter relationships, were closer in level to their mentor, and reported more mutual learning than younger protégés. Protégé age interacted with mentor age, however, such that young protégés seemed to receive similar styles of mentoring regardless of mentor age, but as protégés age increased, they reported more career and psychosocial mentoring from younger than from older mentors. The content analysis of qualitative data revealed important variables to investigate in future research on age diversity in mentorships, including perceptions of competence and respect, similarity, and interpersonal comfort.

Strategies of job seekers related to age-related stereotypes

Purpose

– Given the increasing diversity in the age of job seekers worldwide and evidence of perceptions of discrimination and stereotypes of job seekers at both ends of the age continuum, the purpose of this paper is to identify how perceptions of age-related bias are connected to age-related identity management strategies of unemployed job seekers.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 129 unemployed job-seeking adults who were participants in a career placement service. Participants completed paper-and-pencil surveys about their experiences of age-related bias and engagement in age-related identity management strategies during their job searches.

Findings

– Older job seekers reported greater perceptions of age-related bias in employment settings, and perceptions of bias related to engaging in attempts to counteract stereotypes, mislead or miscue about one's age, and avoid age-related discussions in job searching. Individuals who were less anxious about their job search were less likely to mislead about age or avoid the topic of age, whereas individuals with higher job-search self-efficacy were more likely to acknowledge their age during their job search. Older job seekers higher in emotion control were more likely to acknowledge their age.

Originality/value

– Little is known about how job seekers attempt to compensate for or avoid age-related bias. The study provides evidence that younger and older job seekers engage in age-related identity management and that job search competencies relate to engagement in particular strategies.

Who is the better applicant? Effects from gender, academic record, and type of decision

This experiment recreates several features of the selection of candidates for junior professional positions. The situation of central interest involves an assessor (either male or female) and a pair consisting of a male and a female applicant with either equivalent or slightly different academic records. We also investigate effects from quality of record (either excellent or poor) and type of decision (namely, choice between applicants, and ratings of competence and suitability). Our hypotheses consider both gender as social status and as social identity, and predict different outcomes depending on decision type. In line with those predictions, findings show that, at both levels of performance, the question about competence elicited effects only from the two applicants' relative academic standing, while the choice and suitability measures show effects from that standing as well as from sex category of applicant and of assessor. Results and their interpretation are presented and discussed in detail.

Examining positive and negative perceptions of older workers: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This article presents an updated meta-analysis of field and laboratory studies that examine the influence of age on a number of evaluative workplace outcomes (advancement, selection, general evaluations, interpersonal skills, and reliability). Method. A random effects meta-analytic procedure was used.

RESULTS

In line with the perspective that perceptions of older workers are multidimensional, the observed meta-analytic correlations indicate that age has medium-sized negative effects on majority of the outcomes investigated (r(advancement) = -.21, r(selection) = -.30, r(general evaluations) = -.24, and r(interpersonal skills) = -.23, and a medium-sized positive effect on perceptions of reliability (r(reliability) = .31). Additionally, evidence of moderation by study design for the selection outcome is presented, such that within-subjects designs elicit stronger effects of age than between-subjects designs. Discussion. The present study demonstrates that it is likely that older workers are not viewed entirely negatively or entirely positively in the workplace; rather, the perceptions of older workers are more are varied, and even positive in some cases.

Altersdiskriminierung - (k)ein Thema der deutschsprachigen Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie?

Zusammenfassung. Wir gehen der Frage nach, inwieweit Diskriminierung älterer Arbeitskräfte in deutschsprachigen Veröffentlichungen aus dem Bereich der Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie thematisiert wird. Nach einer systematischen Literaturrecherche in einschlägigen Fachzeitschriften (Psychologie und Praxis, Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, Arbeit, Wirtschaftspsychologie, Wirtschaftspsychologie aktuell, Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft; bis 2005) kommen wir zu dem Schluss, dass Diskriminierung älterer Arbeitskräfte in deutschsprachigen Veröffentlichungen praktisch nicht diskutiert wird. Wir beschreiben vier theoretische Ansätze die verdeutlichen, warum Vorurteile und Altersdiskriminierung in Organisationen wichtige zu berücksichtigende Faktoren sind. Die Bedeutung dieser Ansätze wird durch empirische Studien aus dem englischsprachigen Raum gestützt. Anschließend diskutieren wir die Frage der universellen Gültigkeit bzw. der kulturellen Gebundenheit der bisherigen Ergebnisse sowie auch weitere, bisher wenig beachtete Forschungsfragen. Zuletzt stellen wir Ansatzpunkte für den Abbau von altersdiskriminierenden Einstellungen und Verhaltensweisen in Organisationen vor.

Work attitudes and decisions as a function of manager age and employee age

Research has shown the importance of employee age relative to coworker age in determining attitudes, performance, and career-related opportunities. The authors used chronological and subjective measures of employee and manager age to determine whether employee age relative to the manager has an impact on these same outcome variables. One hundred eighty-five managers and 290 employees completed surveys. The strongest and most consistent age effects were observed for interactions between employee and manager chronological age. Both the magnitude and pattern of the employee-manager age interactions varied by self- and manager-rated outcome measures of work attitudes, performance and promotability assessments, and developmental experiences. Results are discussed in light of the relational demography and career timetable literatures.