As a hiring manager, I once had the amazing experience of finding a perfect candidate. He aced the interview with that perfect balance of insightful and practical answers. He was well-spoken and friendly and came across as a shoe-in for culture fit. Add to that the perfect background; familiar with our product (in fact, he owned it as a customer at one point), relevant industry knowledge, and an excellent rolodex of contacts. I was so excited to find this perfect gem. You can imagine how shocked I was when my boss did not want me to hire him.
I asked him why.
"What fifty-something-year-old man would want to work for a twenty-something-year-old woman?" my thirty-something year old boss responded.
"This one," was my answer.
I hired him. He was an excellent member of my team and has remained an excellent addition to the company to this day.
Jon Shields's article on age discrimination is excellent; calling out a very important and impactful problem in the hiring process today. I am grateful to be a part of the conversation and I am very much looking forward to reading more of his posts in the future.
Read the article here: Age Discrimination: Older Applicants vs. “Young Pretty People”