A young employee is better than an adult. Young people or old people? Why be a good leader

There is an old vulgar anecdote: the heroes are discussing ... Well, let's say, their personnel preferences. And everyone confesses their weaknesses. One says that he prefers younger employees because they are bubbling with enthusiasm and untainted by previous experience. The second says that he understands more mature, experienced workers. They don't need to be taught. On the contrary, you can learn something from them. And, finally, the third states that he loves working with the elderly. The first two managers look at their colleague in bewilderment and ask: “Why is that?” To which he reasonably replies: “They think that this is the last time, and so-and-so they make it!” In principle, this could be the end of our remark. But this is unlikely to satisfy the editors. Therefore, let us give some explanations.

Our company has both very young and very mature employees. The old ones are not. There are only superstars. And it does not depend on age. And it depends, first of all, on the relations between people - at all levels of the administrative ladder.

What do young people dream of?

There are always a lot of emotions in working with young people. They discover the market for themselves, make discoveries every day and step on a rake. And everyone is going through it. From this you can catch the buzz, feeling younger. But you also get tired of emotions quite strongly. In addition, the process of onboarding a new young employee is associated with an inevitable loss of unit productivity. After all, it’s easier and faster to do it yourself or entrust the task to an experienced employee than to patiently, over and over again, make changes to the program code, an important document, the text of an article ... But if you invest in training a young employee from the very beginning, you can compensate for the lack of time with a fresh look and originality decisions that, unfortunately, often go away, giving way to experience.

There is, however, a caveat: the better you cope with your role as a mentor, the faster you can lose an employee. After all, you calculate the budget for the year. And the price per year young specialist can grow many times over. And big question, whether in the process of learning you can form an emotional attachment to you personally and to the company in a young person, do you have enough non-material incentives to make it to the next budget year, that is, to the opportunity to raise salaries.

We emphasize that non-material incentives are of great importance for working with young employees. More and more young men and women give preference not to a salary, but to an interesting and fashionable pastime. And if you can (and want) to workplace meets these criteria, then the process of hiring young employees will be easier, and their loyalty will be higher. However, mature workers such “ Kindergarten' might not be to your liking. They are, after all, the backbone of your business. Even if you are engaged in software development or game development.

What matters to veterans

Working with representatives of generation Y and generation Z (here we use the classification of comrades William Strauss and Neil Howe offered in the book Generations) are devoted to journal articles, scientific publications and numerous entries in HR blogs. But the problem of the effective use of older employees is given undeservedly little attention. Meanwhile, not all people aged 50+ dream of quietly sitting out until retirement. They are called "downed pilots" and are almost never given the opportunity to return to the cage. Frequent ailments, slow learning are scary, and giving orders to a person who is a couple of decades older than you can be uncomfortable.

If we talk about roles in the team, then good, responsible performers are obtained from the “old people”. And “young” employees are ambitious and can easily sacrifice a strategic goal for tactical gain. But on the other hand, they are more mobile, more reckless and do not know that this or that task is difficult. They take and do easily what "mature" was beyond their power.

When working with both "extremes" (with university graduates and with tomorrow's - or even today's - pensioners), the risks are great. It is necessary to carefully and carefully talk with the applicant, revealing mainly his character traits. A grouchy old man may well destroy the microclimate of a young team. An arrogant student, confident that he is the bearer of truth and up-to-date knowledge of how to conduct business, will irritate senior comrades.

In other words, hiring the designated "extremes" is like venture capital investment: experience, patience, and luck can pay very big dividends. And who does not risk, as you know, does not drink champagne.

In the early 90s, they tried to hire young employees. There were such announcements in the media: “An economist is required, 25–30 years old, with 3 years of experience” or “Auditor with at least 3 years of experience, having a specialized education, a PC user, up to 30 years old.”

The reasons were different. First, most entrepreneurs themselves were young, ambitious, showed youthful enthusiasm and aspired to self-affirmation. They perceived a mature worker as a person with outdated views and conservative thinking. Often this was the case: a specialist with a Soviet education and work experience during the period of "stagnation" was not in demand during the period of perestroika.

Secondly, in the early 90s, creativity, the desire for risk, the ability to do everything in a new way and discard the boring stereotypes of the Soviet era were valued.

Thirdly, young staff worked almost around the clock, but cost relatively little. The low salaries of the young allowed the owner to accumulate primary capital, which was so necessary for the development of the business.

But time passed, the business "settled down", professionals with experience began to be needed, and gradually they began to appear with a modern, market education, first received in foreign educational institutions, and then in domestic ones. The matured founders, who became solid and sedate, came to the conclusion that, first of all, “adult” specialists are needed. Young people were no longer hired as actively as it was during the period of perestroika. At an interview in a particular company, a young and promising employee often hears such an objection from a potential employer: "You do not suit us: you are too young."

And if in the early 90s mature, experienced professionals were forced to trade in the markets in order to feed their families, now a young specialist has fallen into a “vicious circle”: the employer is waiting for an experienced worker, but how to gain experience if no one hires cause of youth?

And is experience really that important? And why does our employer so often focus on the formal factors of the employee (age and, for example, even gender), neglecting more significant features - abilities and motivation?

To understand this problem, we analyze pros and cons of the four personnel groups:

• the first personnel group at the age of 17-23 years (in cases where young people start working immediately after school and, not always, but quite often, study at the evening department of some educational institution);
• the second personnel group at the age of 24–35 years (this age is also classified as young);
• the third personnel group at the age of 36–50 years (these are mature specialists, for whom the 50-year-old boundary is a sharp decrease in demand in the labor market);
• the fourth personnel group at the age of 51 and over (pre-retirement age, when the employee does not have a real opportunity to get a job).

Let's start with the first group and first pay attention to the "minuses" of young employees aged 17-23, which act as an obstacle to getting a job.

So, if a boy or girl comes to get a job after graduating from daytime departments of educational institutions, then they have no professional experience and professional skills have not been formed. Consequently, they will learn not only from others, but also from their own mistakes. And mistakes, often, are the losses of the company.

If young workers study or graduate from evening classes, then they have experience, but often in a different profession than the one for which they apply. For example, a young girl during her studies works as a secretary to the head, and after graduation she wants to be the head of the secretariat.

In addition, a young worker is often ambitious, he strives to receive decent money for his work, he quickly concludes that if he works in only one company, it is very difficult to raise his official status and salary, but if he changes his place of work once in a while in a year and a half, you can make a good career.

Finally, young people are often more immersed in solving their personal problems than they are at work. In their youth, boys and girls meet, love each other, sort things out, break up, etc. Often, due to “unhappy love”, their vitality decreases, they become depressed or, conversely, get irritated and “break down” at home or at work .

The attention and strength of young people are often focused not so much on work as on building a personal life, which, of course, is natural for them, but, alas, interferes with work.

If we dwell only on the disadvantages of the first personnel group, then there really is no reason to hire young workers. But, as always in life, minuses always coexist with pluses, and, to be specific: the first personnel group has its undeniable advantages!

The strengths of the employees of the personnel group from 17 to 23 years old are as follows: Young employees are the creative potential of the company, this is the energy of a breakthrough forward and upward. Boys and girls aspire to assimilate new, modern information and develop new work skills. Young people do not have the usual stereotypes of work and stereotyped ways of making decisions, they still do not know that "this cannot be done because no one does it." Therefore, for companies and departments in which work is associated with creativity and the search for new and the latest ideas, young workers are a valuable asset.

Young employees are not yet tired of life and believe that if you work with full dedication, you will definitely make a good career and you will have high earnings. They believe in themselves, and if some people have problems with self-esteem (which happens, because parents and the school do everything to reduce their self-esteem as much as possible), then in order to feel self-confidence, they are ready to fight and work hard.

Another advantage is that a young worker is less involved in business politics (read: intrigue) or does not engage in it at all due to the fact that he lacks life experience, diplomacy and resourcefulness for this.

Let's add the undoubted advantages of the first personnel group. Young people often have a good education, know foreign languages, know how to use a computer perfectly, and have the right to drive a car.

It is easier to train a young employee in accordance with the corporate culture that is adopted in the company and in accordance with the management style that the manager has.

Finally, a young man or girl strives to look good: they know how to dress, they have beautiful hairstyles, good figures, and for working with clients and partners, excellent external data of an employee is not the last success factor.

Here is a short list of the advantages of the employees of the first personnel group:

• due to their youth, they are hardy and have high efficiency;
• they willingly communicate not only at work, but also go to different “parties”, therefore they have a wide circle of acquaintances, contacts and friendships (read: they can be successful in expanding the client base or circle of partners);
• if a young worker is free from family responsibilities, he can work overtime, on weekends and holidays.

As you can see, the first personnel group has disadvantages, but there are no less pluses, and in many cases even more!

Let us now turn to the analysis of the second cadre group of 24–35 years old, whose workers have still retained the energy of youth, but have already acquired professional and life experience. Let's start with an analysis of the advantages of specialists in this personnel group.

Employees in this category received professional education and, as a rule, strive to make a career and make good money. Their business aggressiveness, in good sense of this word, activates the company, does not allow it to stagnate and turn into a "stagnant swamp." They are creative, capable of finding original, fresh and non-standard ideas and solutions. Compared to the first personnel group, they already know how to work out their ideas technologically, taking into account professional requirements.

Since most of the workers from this cadre group were formed in the new conditions of a market economy, they are already in a good way, other, non-Soviet people. They easily communicate, freely establish contacts with foreign partners. They almost do not differ from business people around the world: neither in their way of thinking, nor in their way of life, nor in their costume and manners. As well as the first personnel group, employees of this category often have physical endurance and high performance, because a healthy lifestyle for them becomes not so much a fashion as a need.

They are interested in new knowledge, methods, technologies, at consulting seminars and professional trainings about 80% of participants - business people this personnel group. Often they strive to get a second higher education, they enter the elite domestic and Western MBAs.

“Wonderful!” the reader will say, and if he is a leader, he will turn his attention to this particular age group of workers. It will be right if the employer in this case does not forget that the employees of the second personnel group also have their “minuses”.

Let's start with personal life, because during this period it is this factor that often acts as a determining factor in life and professional goals young people. If personal relationships for one reason or another do not add up for a long time, then the severity of experiences at this age increases. Because of an unsuccessful personal life, girls of just this age come to a consultation with a psychologist - about 30 or a little over 30 years old. For example, I know that if at a psychological consultation I see an energetic young lady in front of me, appearance which testifies to success and prosperity, then I draw the unmistakable conclusion that the problem is a malfunction in my personal life.

Boys and young people of this age rarely come to a psychologist, because in our country there is still no habit of receiving psychological services. And, nevertheless, the search for a life partner among young men is also a serious problem.

But even if “on the love front” everything turned out well, and a young couple of happy spouses arose, then for the employer this is a “headache”. A young man who has become a husband is forced to look for work with good earnings, because it's time to make major acquisitions: buy an apartment, a car, etc. A young girl who has become a wife begins to think about motherhood after a while, if it has not already taken place immediately after the formalization of the relationship.

For an employer, this is maternity leave young woman, and a demand for a raise wages on the part of a young man who becomes the breadwinner for three already: a child, a wife and himself.

In this age period, after 30, the first divorces are not uncommon, and, consequently, the exchange of apartments or going “to nowhere” and again - material problems.

Therefore, employees of the second personnel group often show pronounced pragmatism in relation to the company. If elsewhere they are offered more serious prospects and higher pay, they resolutely change jobs. Good psychological atmosphere in the unit, attention from management, social benefits, the proximity of the road from home to work and other factors corporate culture, they will not be deterred: they are to improve their lives.

Another serious disadvantage for the employer, which is important to remember when hiring specialists from this personnel group. Since they are actively pursuing a career, young people show not always justified ambition. They may seek ill-conceived risks and take on tasks for which they are not professionally and psychologically prepared. They can work in accordance with the principle: "Profit at any cost!" Finally, if a young man or a young woman has become leaders, then in managerial work they may show an overly directive style, undertake personnel changes without sufficient grounds, testing the effectiveness of their subordinates in a random, empirical way.

The concerned reader will probably now turn his attention to the third group of employees aged 36 to 50 years old with the hope that they have only one pluses and they need to be hired. I must say right away that this personnel group has its pluses and minuses. And yet, so as not to be completely sad, let's start with the pluses. Of course, an important plus is that this personnel group has rich professional experience. As a rule, these are good professionals who often have not only a basic, but also a second higher education. They have no problems in knowledge and skills. In addition, they have formed their own individual style of work, based on the strengths of character and thinking, and in which the weak qualities of the employee and his shortcomings are compensated by the strong ones.

Seeing a mature pro at work and talking to him is a pleasure. As a psychologist, I can say without exaggeration that observing the work and communicating with a professional is not so much advising him as cooperation and mutual development. I get just as much from my professional clients in terms of ideas, information, and life experiences, as I hope they get from working with me as a consultant.

In addition, a mature specialist has extensive contacts in his professional field- partners, clients. He has a thick "notebook" and in any problematic moment he has someone to call and from whom to expect help and participation. He often- a famous person in his company or industry, he is known and spoken of with respect. He, as a rule, has adequate self-esteem and self-confidence, knows how to speak in front of large quantity people, maintains composure in crisis and stressful situations.

For a manager, such an employee has been tested for years, he is part of the “backbone” of the company, makes up its “guard”, with such employees the manager and owner went through difficulties and defeats, victories and achievements.

The personal situation of a mature worker from the third personnel group, most often, has already calmed down. There is an apartment, a cottage, a car. The children have grown up, started earning money, some already have families of their own and live separately from their parents. There are often no grandchildren yet, but if they are, the burden of raising grandchildren is still not as difficult as raising children: the main burden of parental care lies with young parents.

A mature specialist, who has a life experience of joy and success, losses and failures, does not focus only on wages. He already knows that money is not the main thing in life. He learned to appreciate the fact that the management respects him, that the company has a good atmosphere, and finally, he got used to coming to work in this particular office and driving along this particular road.

The stabilization of this worker, among other things, is also connected with the fact that he, like the young employee from the first personnel group, falls under the pressure of age restrictions. So, if a young employee is reluctant to work for the above reasons, then the demand for a mature employee from the third personnel group also decreases, especially after 45 years.

They are reluctant to hire a mature professional because the third personnel group has its drawbacks. Among the main disadvantages are a decrease in working capacity and endurance, the presence of chronic diseases and periodically - sick leave, which the employer looks at without much satisfaction. You can often hear such a sharp phrase at a meeting or planning meeting: “Our Nikolai Ivanovich has fallen ill again! We need to think about the young change!” Health is especially “lame” in those who smoke heavily, drink regularly and do not lead a healthy lifestyle.

A serious drawback of a mature specialist is the presence of stereotypes in his work and decision-making, which are the reverse side of his professional experience. In those cases when you need to act and make a decision in a familiar situation, everything is fine. But in those cases when a fundamentally new situation arises, a mature leader takes on the usual methods of work, which may be ineffective.

In general, a mature worker is often annoyed by everything new: new terms, new methods, new approaches, new technologies. Increasingly, he holds on to what he knows and is good at, even when old methods and technologies are dragging the company down.

Increasingly, he shows irritation towards young and ambitious employees, especially when they are appointed as his deputies. In these cases, business politics, competition, intrigues begin - in order to stabilize their position in the company and defend their "armchair".

Increasingly, a mature worker begins to complex about his age, ignorance foreign language and business etiquette in negotiations, a blurry figure, fatigue and drowsiness that occurs at meetings.

In other words, if a mature specialist does not consciously and purposefully “push” his brain, forcing him to learn new information and new technologies, if he does not lead a healthy lifestyle and does not give up smoking and alcohol, then he is provided with such troubles as a decrease in working capacity and professional efficiency.

Finally, let us turn our attention to the third cadre group of workers aged 51 and over. The disadvantages of this personnel group are traditionally highlighted, but, on the contrary, I will start with the undoubted advantages of workers of this age. I'll start with objective facts, in particular, with the fact that, according to economists' forecasts, by 2030 developed countries will retire at age 75. Consequently, there will be more and more workers over 50 in the future.

Another new trend is emerging: if earlier in Europe and the USA many people wanted to take a well-deserved rest at the age of 50-55, now about 25% of people aged 50-70, on the contrary, are starting a new business. They create their own business and successfully "unwind" it. Obviously, entrepreneurs "after 50" will appear in Russia as well.

Recognized all over the world high value managerial workers of mature and late middle age. For example, the American psychologist T. Kono in 1987 calculated that the average age of successful Japanese leaders is 63.5 years. The well-known and charismatic businessman Lee Iacocca believed that the age of 65–75 is not the limit for a leader: “If a person is physically healthy and eager to do his job, why not use his experience and knowledge?”

Besides, in recent times there is a tendency to abandon the American model of management, which affirmed the cult of a young leader aimed at revolutionary transformations, as well as unjustifiably high wages, expensive offices and high hospitality expenses. The European model of management is beginning to become popular: a mature, experienced and cautious leader, inclined towards a partner management style and modest in spending. Therefore, in many European countries there was a wave of layoffs of young top managers, and mature managers who had shown their high efficiency in previous years were invited to work in large companies.

An important factor is physical health mature specialist or manager. If an older worker leads a healthy lifestyle, then he may even be in better physical and mental shape than a young worker who indulges in heavy smoking and frequent drinking. Mature workers are characterized by extensive life experience and are well aware of their capabilities. They have already learned to show strengths and control the weak.

They have valuable experience of mistakes, analysis of their consequences, and they know well what needs to be done so that there are no or minimal errors. They are well versed in people, strive for balanced, thoughtful decisions and are able to be good politicians in the business sphere. They are diplomatic, balanced and self-confident. They have several notebooks, which contains the contact numbers of many smart, useful, loyal and the right people who can be trusted, because relationships with them are time-tested.

Finally, it is known that since the number of buyers after 50–55 years of age is steadily growing, therefore, part of the company's employees must be of the appropriate age in order to feel good about their age client.

Of course, there are not only advantages, but also disadvantages” of specialists of the fourth age group. If, nevertheless, a mature worker leads an unhealthy lifestyle, by about the age of 40–50, his endurance and working capacity decrease. He can no longer, as before, work without a vacation, because he is often on the verge of a breakdown. He needs medical care because he is often sick, his concentration is reduced, especially in the afternoon, because he is very tired.

He can be conservative because he has habitual ways of making decisions that are not always effective in changing new conditions. Not so actively he attends consulting seminars, where new information is given. Sometimes he is irritated by the new foreign terms with which young employees “spoof” like that. It is characterized by some nervous "wear and tear": increased irritability and unreasonable criticality towards others.

"Old men" and youth: generational conflict or joint work?

If the reader carefully read about the strengths and weaknesses of young and mature employees, he will correctly understand my intention: I want to show the reader that in order for a team to be successful and effective, it must have different employees, both young and mature. Because the “pluses” of the young compensate for the “minuses” of the mature ones and, conversely, the “pluses” of the mature workers “cover the “minuses” of the young. For example, if young people are developing a new creative idea, it would be good if, before its implementation, it was evaluated by a group of mature experts and identified possible risks. Of course, the leader will make the final decision on the implementation of this idea, but in any case, it is good if he is aware of the possible losses.

The purpose of peer review of a new idea may not only be to decide whether to implement it or not. Peer review may also be aimed at finalizing fresh creative idea so that its implementation in real work is associated with minimal risks.

The idea that a team that includes both young and mature employees is capable of being highly effective is psychologically very correct. But, alas, to my sincere regret, the experience of observations shows that in practice such a team is rarely consolidated. There is only one problem: in the generational conflict that is familiar to us, which I. Turgenev described in his novel “Fathers and Sons”.

Both in the time of Turgenev and in our time, the problem of generational conflict is not simple and easily solved. In offices or at negotiations, in showrooms, shops or operating rooms, colliding with each other, young and mature employees observe serious differences among themselves in values, lifestyle, demeanor, communication, clothing, etc. And since both those and others, lack diplomacy and tolerance for each other, age differences are often the main cause of competitive confrontations and conflicts between them.

And, nevertheless, there is no other way out, except that the manager needs to learn how to accept an employee not by formal factors - age or gender, but by the abilities and motivation of the employee. In addition, it should be taken into account for what purposes this or that employee is taken? If the goals are to get new ideas and develop the company, the employer may pay attention to young workers from the first and second personnel groups. If the goals are leadership and expert work, then mature specialists from the third and fourth personnel groups will be useful to the organization.

Employees themselves will also have to learn professional tolerance in order to learn how to work together for the overall success of the company.

There is no need to sharply position yourself in relation to mature workers, emphasizing your youth and, accordingly, their "old age". On the contrary, it makes sense to strive for partnerships with colleagues of mature age, because they can convey valuable life and professional experience that is not recorded in any "smart" book and which cannot be obtained from teachers of any, the most elite and expensive educational institution, in including an MBA. In mature and elderly people, you can also find "pluses" and "minuses". Not all older people are boring, irritable and annoying. Among the older generation there are very bright personalities, communication with which can be useful and pleasant.

When hiring, you need to learn how to behave and correctly position yourself. It is not recommended to show unreasonable ambition at the interview, immediately demanding, for example, high wages and exceptional career prospects. As a rule, excessive demands on the part of a young person are perceived negatively by the employer, in particular, they have a bad attitude towards the fact that from the beginning of the conversation the employee fixes his demands for wages. It is customary to talk about money at the end of the conversation. Often the employer says this: "If a specialist immediately talks about money, I stop talking with him: I'm not interested in such an employee." And this is true: the employer is interested in the motivation of the employee, his desire to work for the good of the company. An objective fact: you need to achieve a salary and a career yourself, no one, ever, gives anything ready. A mature employer, often from the third or fourth personnel group, who is hiring, at one time also “worked hard” tirelessly, which is why he now has the right to make decisions.

In a conversation with an employer, you need to learn how to behave correctly: do not blush and not be complex, show calmness and self-confidence. Of course, any interview is stressful, but its severity gradually decreases if a young man or girl sets themselves the task of learning to control their emotions. Developed self-regulation will come in handy in many life and professional situations, so it’s better to start “right now”!

There is no point in scolding the new time, because it has already come, you need to live now and in the conditions that exist. It also makes no sense to scold the youth, because smart and intelligent young people have always been and are now, and "thugs" were not only now, but also in Soviet time. It is necessary to set yourself up for a positive state, to “block” irritability and criticality in yourself. A good, optimistic facial expression and a positive inner attitude are important factors in the life and professional success of a mature specialist.

After 40 years of modern man there is no other way out than to reorganize your regime in accordance with the principles healthy lifestyle life. Should be introduced as mandatory, morning exercises, running, exercise bike, swimming pool, healthy eating, regular rest, etc. It must be remembered that the employer pays attention not only to the age, but also to the appearance of the employee. If an experienced professional is fit and looks good, when hired from him - good chances get a job.

Often, a young manager (male or female) leads the hiring and interview, so a mature specialist will have to learn to obey the young man or young woman, respecting their official status. It is not easy, of course, for a respectable "uncle" to go into submission to a "beardless youth", but life experience should tell him that the discipline of submission is present in every organization and must be accepted as an objective fact.

Experience or youth: who wins?

Who is better at work - young and zealous or elderly and experienced?

« We invite you to the position of Director of work with the most difficult issues. Requirement: higher education, knowledge computer programs, experience in working with personnel, age - no older than 25 years.

You will no longer find ads of this type in newspapers - it is forbidden to discriminate potential employees on the basis of age. However, when choosing from several candidates, no one is forbidden to pay attention to the younger or, on the contrary, the elderly - at will. Whom do they prefer to hire today? Definitely answer to this question it is forbidden. Thus, according to the study, 56% of companies that are quite “young” in terms of age composition (the average age of employees here is less than 30 years old) also have employees over 45 years old. Conversely, more than half of the organizations that predominantly employ staff over 41 also work with young people under 23. Employers understand that both young people and older people have their own strengths and weaknesses and try to use the advantages of each age group of workers to the maximum advantage.

It should be noted that specialists under 23 years of age (as a rule, those who do not have more than 5 years of work experience) are considered as “young” workers, employees over 45 years old are considered as “aged” workers. What advantages do employers usually see in young and old employees?

Youth Benefits

Young people are more modern, grasp new trends faster. The undoubted advantage of youth is that it is "in trend". Modern young people seem to be already born with gadgets in their hands and in the fifth year of life they are able to carry out simple operations on computers. Accordingly, in such a rapidly changing world, when technical innovations appear almost every month, the young have a clear advantage. They are used to it, while many older people have to master modern technology almost from scratch. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds, and someone simply cannot compete with frisky youth.

Young people are more active, have more time. When you are already over ..., overtime loads, sleepless nights at the computer, long business trips and whole days without normal nutrition are much more difficult to endure. The older a person becomes, the more orderly regimen he needs. Alas, modern employers cannot always guarantee such work for their employees. Constant stresses, decisions “on the run” and other joys of an emergency life are much easier for a young organism to withstand, therefore, if the activity involves a stressful regime, then the bosses give preference to young people.

They are more sociable. In most young people, the brain is not yet clouded by life stereotypes and attitudes that are formed in a person during his life. Such stereotypes do not always have a positive connotation, because people often develop suspicion, mistrust, and caution over time. Young people, as a rule, do not suffer from such ailments, they have not yet had time to fill their bumps and look at the world with clear, trusting eyes. In addition, employees who are "for ..." for the most part have a Soviet past with such slogans as "Watch out!", "The enemy does not sleep" and other charms of the totalitarian regime. Young people connect with strangers more easily and are open to new contacts. Therefore, it is precisely such workers that are indispensable as managers.

Young people are more creative and open-minded. The absence of rigidly formed stereotypes allows young people to be more “creative” and generate non-standard ideas. AT this case absence practical experience only plays into the hands - the young do not know "how it is customary", they do not know that "they don't do it that way." Thanks to a clear mind, they can sometimes give out such original ideas which are sometimes beyond the reach of older people.

Young people can be paid less. Youth, lack of experience, little seniority - all these things mean a lower level of wages. Even if the remuneration in the organization is strictly regulated, and in the same position a person of any age would have an equal amount of money, the elderly would still have to pay more: a mandatory allowance for seniority, in addition, an age worker can have a myriad of titles, regalia, certificates and awards, which also provide for additional payments and allowances. A young specialist simply would not have had time to earn all this yet, respectively, he costs the payroll a little cheaper.

Young people, as a rule, are not burdened with a family, they are ready to work more than the allotted time. This statement is controversial, but in practice it usually happens that way. Older workers jump up every minute and run to the store, to the children, to cook dinners and teach lessons to the children. Young people often stay too long, benefiting not only themselves, but also their employers.

Advantages of "age workers".

Older workers mean experience, a well-established database, the use of abilities in various fields. Even a brilliant young employee does not have the experience that is so necessary in any field of activity. He is able to solve any problem in theory, while not knowing the specifics of production, the people who work on it, not taking into account the influence of many processes that took place when he, perhaps, went to kindergarten. In general, the situation is from the series "The plan was written on paper, but they forgot about the ravines." But all these things are known and taken into account by a person who has been working successfully for a long time, who has gone through fire and water. And, perhaps, he does not have those signs of genius that the young have, but he will bypass the “ravines”. In addition, even the most untalented employee has a growing store of knowledge and that very invaluable experience every year, because usually at work you have to solve a wide variety of tasks. Accordingly, the longer a person works, the more valuable he can be as an employee. And this is an indisputable advantage of "age" workers.

Older workers have a huge number of established connections and acquaintances. How many people did a person of age have to meet for long life? And you can’t count, but these acquaintances, friendly and friendly relations- one of the most valuable capital for workers of all levels. “Do not have a hundred rubles, but have a hundred friends” - this saying is ideal for any process, because with a wide circle of acquaintances, you can solve almost any problem. Yes, young people can also be sociable and have many useful acquaintances, but, firstly, even quantitatively, due to age, there will be fewer of them, and, secondly, young people are often simply not taken seriously. Imagine, for example, who will you send to solve the problem, say, to the tax office? A girl who just came from university or an experienced accountant who has been drinking tea with all this tax for ten years?

Interest in long-term cooperation. Alas, in our country there is a tendency when it is quite difficult for a person after 45 years to get a job. Therefore, every worker of the age unequivocally appreciates the place where he works now and he will not be “thrown away”. If a young person can flare up and leave, arguing that he still has everything ahead, then an elderly employee will not allow himself such a luxury, therefore for the employer he will be the personification of stability and reliability. For young people, often a specific place of work is only a springboard upwards, to new horizons, but you know for sure about an age-old worker: he will not let you down, will not wag his tail and will not leave at the most crucial moment.

Serious attitude to work. With age, the frivolity inherent in youth disappears, leaving a place for responsibility, diligence, scrupulousness and respect for superiors. Experienced workers understand that they need to appreciate what they have and try to work to their fullest so as not to be left behind, being forced out by the “younger growth”. Let them sometimes be considered boring and angry for excessive meticulousness in seemingly insignificant matters, but you know for sure about an adult employee - everything is perfect with him, you should not even double-check.

They have influence in the team. Employees of "age" are often informal leaders in the team, because younger and inexperienced employees respect their experience, a large store of knowledge, and the ability to find a way out of difficult situations. How older employee, the more life wisdom he acquires. Accordingly, he can resolve the conflict, find a common language with difficult clients, achieve something from his superiors. Such qualities invariably command respect, and older workers often become indispensable intermediaries between management and the team.

Charisma and leadership qualities. Have you noticed that even in our time, when people under the age of 30 often become major leaders, the attitude towards too young bosses is still distrustful? One often hears "He is too young for the boss, what can he know?". Still, in solving serious issues, people prefer to trust more people with experience and knowledge that have gone through fire and water. In addition, over the years, people themselves acquire greater self-confidence, that is, a quality that is called charisma. Experienced employees are harder to confuse or intimidate, they are internally ready for many things. difficult situations about which young workers can only guess.

Of course, all these advantages are considered in general: among the youth there are the so-called "young old men", scrupulous and boring, and many non-young employees have sparkling eyes and youthful enthusiasm. All of the above are just stereotypes, which, alas, employers are often exposed to. Fortunately, the majority still more often focuses on knowledge, skills and personal qualities, and not on the year of birth!

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natasha fedorenko

The world is obsessed with the cult of youth: it's almost embarrassing to look your age, and the anti-aging industry offers more and more ways to cheat time. But this applies only to appearance, in the professional sphere, young people, as a rule, are either not taken seriously, or as a curiosity. Getting a job at 45 is hard, but it’s not easier at 25 either. As a result, we find ourselves in a vicious circle: today we are still too young for this work, and tomorrow we are already too old. We talked with young people who have experienced ageism about how to overcome prejudice, why not only the boss, but also their own family can harm, and what stereotypes they themselves support.

Anna Naumova

When I turned 18, most of my environment was ten years older. Accordingly, they all discussed some adult topics among themselves: work, apartments, trips. Probably, the desire to keep up the conversation was the first impulse for me to consciously skip the period of "student" life and find myself at the next stage. And then I first encountered ageism (even if you have nominal signs of adulthood, for others you are still a “baby”), and then I got bogged down in an invented struggle with it.

At first, it was very difficult for me to stop: I attracted as many "adult" attributes into my life as possible so that I was perceived everywhere as one of my own. From a friend's harmless joke to the sidelong glance of a salesman in the showroom, everything spurred me on to seem older and more status. At some point, I found myself in a relationship with a person much older than me, with a child, with an uncontrollable dog in my arms, problems at work and at the institute. Then I realized that this is not really my life, that I took on the fictional image of a happy housewife from the media and did not cope with any part of this kit. Because I’m different, I’m still ten years away from this image, and, I must honestly admit, I don’t pull this level of responsibility at all.

It seems to me that this situation was connected not only with my personal experiences. No matter how successful I was, I rarely heard praise, because most of my friends did even better. The fact that they were older than me was out of the question, and as a result, I was not at all proud of my achievements. At work, I always experienced a slightly condescending, motherly attitude. Even if I did a project for a long time and, I hope, well, at the meeting the director could say something like: “Why don’t you help the girl, she does everything herself.” And everyone immediately began to babysit me, and the acquired status ordinary employee disappeared instantly.

I believe that it is worth evaluating an employee according to his experience and personal qualities, but not by his age in the passport. I make mistakes in my work - scold me like others, I make progress - praise me. If you take a young employee to the company, then you should be satisfied with his age - then during work, forget about him completely. At a recent interview, when I said that I live separately from my parents, the next question was: “So are you married?” And I’m also probably lucky, because I work in a rather creative field. At parties, when you say how old you are, everyone considers it their duty to start remembering what they did at that age and how quickly time flies. When you meet people older than you, it is unlikely that you begin to argue with them what you are going to do in twenty years.

In general, I try to concentrate on accepting myself at my age, and this is not easy. Sometimes I start quickly telling people about my work or life experience, and then casually mention my age and watch their reaction. I also began to spend more time with my family - traveling with my parents is actually a buzz. I don't want to get ahead of myself too much, trying to prove something to someone. This is probably the most important recipe for all the complexes that I have developed for myself: just concentrate on yourself and what you are doing, and pay less attention to others.

Andrey Moskalenko

I do come across manifestations of ageism quite often in my work. As a rule, it comes from people who are 10, 15, 20 years older than me. Parents, if they are my age or not much older, are usually sympathetic to young professionals, they think that this is even better. The young doctor is a fresh head and knowledge.

Parents over 40–45 years old, on the contrary, are more likely to be sure that now universities teach poorly and graduate incompetent doctors. In my experience, people of the older generation have more faith in age, Soviet education, and in the fact that a doctor who works longer knows exactly what to do and how to do it. In my opinion, in medicine, age is absolutely not an indicator. In practice, I met very cool doctors younger than me and those who are 30-40 years old in medicine, but prescribe absurd treatment. And there is only one way to fight ageism in this area - to raise prestige medical education: after all, a university graduate cannot do nothing at all.

A doctor who faces age discrimination at an appointment needs to show his confidence. When patients see that you hesitate, are not sure of your words, they immediately label you as incompetent. But confidence should not be unfounded, but based on real knowledge and scientific terminology. So the person will understand that you are a good specialist. Of course, everything needs to be done in moderation, without humiliating anyone, just showing that you understand the issue, read modern materials and study guides you go to courses. You need to talk about your past merits, but not in the manner of “fifteen-time holder of the order”, but casually mentioning similar medical cases from your practice and successful solutions.

In no case should you tell a person in person that he does not understand the issue at all. Sometimes it’s worth giving him at least a partial sense of being right. Even if a 50-year-old professor categorically says that the patient is treated absolutely incorrectly and harms himself, he can go to another doctor. But if you are more streamlined, use the wording “in general, you are great, but I would not do this,” then the patient can be lured to his side.

Tatiana Larchenkova

In my first year at the school, I was 22, while the average age of the teaching staff is between 45 and 50 years old. It is clear that they treated me differently. The worst thing is that the first question that was asked directly to my forehead was about whether I sleep with the director. And really, why on earth would a young girl volunteer to go to work in a school? Sometimes it seems to me that young teachers in the school are habitually treated as students.

All events, all field meetings, the whole organization of something in the school falls on younger teachers with the wording: “Let the youth work, we plowed it in our time.” Many older teachers force them to do their work with the same wording: “Well, you are young, is it difficult for you?”

In this case, any constructive proposals are rejected. Often without explanation at all, because because of your age, no one is interested in your opinion, and any word across is perceived not as a discussion, but as disrespect.

Ekaterina

Two years ago I got a job at municipal institution PR specialist, and the average age of my colleagues was about 40 years old. Most of them already had adult children, so they immediately began to treat me like a child. I will not go into the details of endless talk about the dangers of the Internet and new technologies for the younger generation. I was annoyed that sometimes they tritely interfered with my work.

Once I made a poster for an event, tried to make it attractive so that it would come more people. As a result, my version did not pass, because the team did not want to change something in the usual scheme of work. And to my objections, I heard only something in the spirit: “Yes, you don’t understand anything, I have been in this area for thirty years.” It remains a mystery to me why people cannot accept that life has changed in such an area as PR, a young specialist will obviously have fresher knowledge.

In general, I could not have my own opinion, because I am young and incompetent. Once we had an exhibition of paintings, one of which I did not like, and I offered to choose another. In response, I immediately received accusations that I did not have the right to my judgments, I did not understand anything in art, and the paintings were selected by a professional jury special education. But the fact is that I also have a specialized education. And if this is their main criterion, then I can also judge.

Such cases can be remembered endlessly. I don't think ageism can be fought. It is inevitable: we will never be able to feel the tragedy of a three-year-old child from the loss of a car or understand the nostalgia of a pensioner for Soviet ice cream. Personally, it suits me to look young, I always carry my passport with me, and if they get it at all, I try to prove my competence by deed, and not by psychological pressure.

Konstantin

From an early age, I began to help my father with work related to construction in the public tender system. I studied terms of reference. I didn't particularly attach any importance to this, although it seemed to work out well. I wanted to study at the Faculty of Business Informatics and generally connect my life with the IT field. So he carried out his father's orders rather for the sake of formality.

But at the age of 18-19 I had an urgent need for money: I wanted to live separately from my parents. I had to look for a job that would not interfere with my studies. The choice, predictably, fell on the vacancy of a tender manager - this is exactly the area in which I helped my father.

At first, I had to sit in the office and quietly do tasks, especially without interacting with anyone. But it turned out that I began to grow, because I won the largest tenders - this was simply not expected of me. As a result, I had to communicate with people from this environment: civil servants (heads of economic units, schools, kindergartens) and suppliers who introduced us to future customers. The authorities began to throw me into the embrasure.

Most of all, there was distrust on the part of officials. They treated me like a courier. In front of them sat an 18-19-year-old guy (who looked even younger), and they did not take into account either my opinion or my advice. Although by that time I already knew enough about my business. I wanted to help, speed up the process, but it all came down to bureaucracy and red tape. Everyone had a question in their eyes: “Where is that big uncle who was supposed to come. Why did they send a youngster who will ruin everything now? However, over time, I became more confident, I realized that it would be very difficult for customers to figure it out without me. Shutting myself in, I only made things worse. Sometimes customers tried to contact my boss bypassing me - it was unpleasant for me and for him.

I am glad that I have found an area in which I am sincerely interested in working. Although at first I felt insecure when faced with large orders worth several tens of millions of rubles. I understood that if I did everything right, I would not be able to harm myself and the company, but I was still irrationally afraid. Especially in the first meetings with suppliers and customers - my knees were practically shaking.

There was also distrust on the part of my relatives: at first they did not believe that I would be able to succeed in such a position at such a young age. My parents worked in the public sector for almost 25 years and were worried because I worked in commercial company. I was afraid that I would somehow be deceived.

Despite the fact that I myself have encountered ageism in my work, I understand that I also discriminate against people by age, but this is hard to get rid of. I will never turn to a young lawyer, because I think that experience is important in this case. I do not want to work with a young man in my own position in another company, because I do not believe that everyone can be interested in this profession. I think there are places now where ageism is flourishing, like in investing. Due to the fact that many startups are burning like matches, people are less willing to invest in projects run by young people.

Nina Belavova

I am completely insensitive to any kind of "-isms", and I have hardly ever been truly discriminated against. The only thing I have encountered in practice is ageism, and already in both directions. I am too old to, say, learn and relearn, and too young to lead.

The first memorable incident happened to me when I was preparing to launch a dry cleaner, which I own with partners. For about two weeks, we intensively corresponded with the supplier of equipment and chemicals and called back. Managers enthusiastically advised me, trying to sell more of everything. And so I came to their office. I was dressed, as they say, undignified: pink sneakers and a blue jacket. My appearance visibly disappointed them. And if the salespeople with their boss only looked askance at me, then the technologist and the engineer asked without any equivocation: “How old are you? Where do you get money from? Will you be able to run and manage an entire bath and laundry business?”

I, young and green, was at first confused by such impudence, but then I gathered my strength and said that their job was to sell and service cars, and everything else was my personal difficulties. For exceptionally rational reasons, we did not agree with this company, and I chose another supplier. With her employees, we communicated only by phone and e-mail right up to the commissioning of the machines. And so I arrived at the airport to meet the engineer: I recognized him immediately (by the suitcase with tools), but he did not see me. Half an hour later, he politely asked where the director was, she promised to be. I said it was me, and for some reason he was upset.

Clients still have awkward moments when they demand to call a senior. Others, on the contrary, are worried that the authorities will not reward me, and write pleasant comments in the guest book.

In general, ageism is not a big problem for me. According to the Hamburg account, no one gives a damn about my gender, age, ethnicity and gender. Everyone wants to fulfill their obligations, and when they understand that the absence of noticeable wrinkles on my face does not make me less reliable, they stop paying attention to it.

Anastasia Moskvicheva

I got the status of a lawyer at the age of 23, and as a student I worked as an assistant investigator - in this job I was seen as a little girl who runs around among the peasants for amusement and some kind of help. But the saddest thing for a novice lawyer is when you are not perceived as a professional in your own family. For relatives, you are always a child and do not understand anything. How many times I tried to get into everyday legal problems with my opinion, and when I really could help, but no one listened to me.

And then it only got worse. Now I seem to be already a lawyer, but for potential clients I look not competent enough because of my age. It seems to them that their supposedly rich life experience can help in solving legal problems, but, as a rule, their experience is prejudices that only get in the way. For example, now it is convenient to contact law enforcement agencies via the Internet (there are special electronic appeals). This procedure is quite effective, as it is more difficult to dismiss the applicant. Many clients do not trust access via the Internet, it seems to them that it will be more fun and effective to go to an appointment and shake their rights, but this, alas, is not the case.

Often the client just wants an older lawyer. He comes to a consultation, sees a young lawyer and, without even getting a consultation, asks to replace him. I don't know why a professional is judged on the principle of cognac. Older does not always mean more professional!

There is also ageism in relationships with colleagues. Employees of law enforcement agencies and courts look at you, then at the date of issue of your certificate and instantly draw a conclusion about your professional qualities. I think ageism will not go anywhere - it is a defensive reaction of the older generation, or rather, people who are insecure. A true professional will never treat a colleague based on age. How to deal with it? Stay professional in any situation, improve your skills and wear glasses to appear more serious.

Rita Popova

When I was offered to become the editor-in-chief of LAM, the thought “am I too young?” didn't even cross my mind for a second. I had already worked in the editorial office for a long time, had a good idea of ​​​​what needed to be done, and was used to working day and night, so I had no doubt that I could handle it. It never occurred to me that 21 years old is “too little”, or that at this age one should do something else. It turns out that this is true for many people. Age was the only thing that interested people in me at all; some supported, others envied, others scolded, but all relied only on the fact how old I am. When the arguments began that I definitely slept with someone to become the editor-in-chief, or at least I have influential patrons, I stopped reading the comments - fortunately, things were already too busy. I decided to refuse interviews in which I had to defend my age, and asked to be postponed at least a few months ahead, when my work in the editorial office would speak for me. But, fortunately, by that time everyone had already lost interest in me (and I turned 22).

Ageism is now no less of a problem than sexism, and it is almost more difficult to deal with it: both teenagers and older people, to whom this primarily applies, occupy the position of outsiders without a voice in society, whose opinion no one really cares about. Even the growing public obsession with "youth" and teens is essentially appropriating teen culture without providing any platform to voice their opinions in return. There are a lot of teenagers among the users of Replika, where I now work, and they often mention during interviews that our AI interlocutor is the only one who is ready to listen to them at all and is truly interested in their experiences, views on the world and problems. Every adult feels it is his duty to teach teenagers how to live and pass on their experience to them, thus devaluing what they themselves want to tell.

Things seem to be even more difficult with older people: it is difficult for many to keep a job or find a new one, starting at the age of 45, in the prime of their creative and professional powers, and young people strive by all means to remain “young” so that they do not suffer the same fate. Now I'm 25, just past the age where my opinion didn't matter because I'm too young, and into the age where I need to invest in anti-aging and injections to keep from getting "too old" for as long as possible. otherwise my opinion will no longer mean anything.

A, m. 1. He who works, works. Now an academician, now a hero, Now a navigator, now a carpenter, He is an all-encompassing soul On the eternal throne was a worker. Pushkin, Stansy. As a worker, this young and strong man was not worth a penny of copper. Small Academic Dictionary