According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Ageism refers to the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age” (https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/ageing-ageism). Oftentimes, we think of older generations in the workforce not being able to keep up with the changing times, or avoiding hiring the same individual because they are too experienced, or too stuck in their ways. Other times we see the inverse, with younger generations lacking experience, maturity, work ethics, and more. It’s as if our own bias forgets the value experience brings, or that we were all once new.

Regardless of the demographic targeted, it is wrong. There is no supporting evidence that you can predict a person’s ability or personality based on their age. If we aren’t careful, this, along with all of the other biases such as gender, race, etc., will prevent our companies, and thus our society, from reaching its full potential.