Numbers Game
Ageism is a DEI challenge that businesses can’t afford to ignore
This issue marks a milestone for Canadian Business: It’s the first anniversary of the relaunch of our 94-year-old journalism brand. It also includes the second edition of our “How I Made It” feature (p. 45), a celebration of Canadian entrepreneurs who are making big moves. This year’s cohort spans a range of industries, and each person profiled offers a unique perspective on what it takes to make a meaningful impact as a leader in business.
One of the most interesting insights came from a phone call I had with Vanessa Ford, COO of entertainment company Kukua and the entrepreneur featured on our cover, whom I was first connected with after she spoke at this year’s Collision Conference in Toronto. She and I got to talking about the ageism that women in particular face at work. Ford described how she was often dismissed while building Kukua because she looked “too young.” We laughed while we swapped stories of dressing to look older—she even had a pair of non-prescription glasses she’d sometimes wear to be taken more seriously.
Ageism remains pervasive in business. According to a recent London School of Economics report, it is most commonly experienced in a U-shaped pattern across a person’s career—they’ll typically encounter it when they are starting out and again when they are nearing retirement—and it can lead to low engagement, high turnover and workplace conflict. Age-based discrimination is compounded when it intersects with gender, race and other potential marginalities, and it varies across industries, with some of the hardest-hit sectors being those that are also currently grappling with labour shortages, like hospitality and social care.
We take a look at how generational challenges are impacting the labour crisis in “Take Two” (p. 11), where talent experts Emily Brine and Trisha Neogi dig into how businesses can attract and retain employees, particularly the cohort that is now entering the workforce. While a lot of discussions about Gen Z rehash a refrain of “young people are entitled and too demanding,” Neogi points out that what they are asking for—more flexibility, fair pay, mental-health benefits—are factors that will improve working conditions for all employees. As the population continues to age, the companies that manage to hack the hiring crisis will be those that prioritize intergenerational diversity and inclusion.
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