SEPTEMBER 2023HR TECH OUTLOOK19they'd fit in socially with your team. Put some checks and balances in place where needed to ensure new employees are being selected for the right reasons. 2. Avoid issues with your job descriptions. When you're looking for soft skills that are required to fill a role, you must be mindful of how you describe those skills. For example, using words like "young," "energetic," "fresh-minded" or "tech savvy" in a job description, or identifying a position as "perfect for a stay-at-home mom," can be seen as discriminatory practice. Instead, consider using words like "motivated," "driven" or "dedicated" that convey a candidate's passion and work ethic without the connotation that they must be young to successfully perform required duties. 3. Design your job application process with care. For instance, do you really need work history starting from the beginning of time? Or, do you really need to know the year they graduated from high school or college? Instead, on your job applications and in interviews, be more specific with your questions. For example, "Do you have 10 years of experience in this field?" or "Can you use this software program?" Don't ask for unnecessary information. If an applicant or employee files an age discrimination claim, it can be used as evidence to prove that your hiring manager was aware of the candidate's age and that it influenced their hiring decision negatively.4. Steer clear of stereotypes. Never assume that an employee can't keep up with new industry trends or won't understand new technology. Likewise, never assume less experience in the job market equates to less value. Implicit bias training, along with discrimination and harassment training can be incredibly helpful in preventing this type of inappropriate behavior. 5. Understand the diverse and changing workforce. Hybrid work environments have grown in popularity, due in large part to CoVid19. As a result, the communication dynamic has become a bit more complicated. Executive leadership must recognize and acknowledge these challenges and encourage an open, safe, workspace for all employees to thrive. 6. Watch your words. Playful, seemingly harmless comments have the potential to offend and your choice of words could have the potential to make employees feel discriminated against regardless of their age. Create an inclusive environment for all employees by avoiding comments that speak to `time', `experience' and `age'. Instead, focus on the unique value each employee brings to the organization. Ageism is a multifaceted concept including three distinct dimensions: a cognitive (stereotypes); affective (prejudice), and a behavioral dimension (discrimination)Jeanette Martin
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