Older workers could make better use of AI than younger workers

“Not only can you write a better prompt, but you can also triangulate better results,” she said.

But older workers don’t always get the chance. Surveys, including one by Generation, suggest that many hiring managers favor younger workers, even as those same managers report that the older workers they brought in have performed well.

This is an important finding because, while the job market is still strong, it has cooled over the past few years. This has led some job seekers who are not fresh out of school to say they have struggled to find new roles, particularly in areas such as technology where employers have cut back and where young people are imported into the culture the industry.

Older workers face headwinds

In the Generation survey, conducted with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, approx four in 10 employers said they would hire someone between the ages of 20 and 29. About half said they would choose people between the ages of 30 and 44.

But for workers older than that, the picture is less bright: Only about a third of employers said they would hire someone between the ages of 45 and 54. And over 55, employers’ willingness to hire drops to 13%.

Mourshed said those headwinds are a key reason why 40 percent of the long-term unemployed in the U.S. are older mid-career workers.

Vern Six, who is in his 50s, previously told BI that more than three decades of working in technology made it difficult for him to land a new role. One recruiter, after reviewing his experience, said he was surprised Six wasn’t a chief technology officer, Six said.

The recruiter went on to say, “It’s going to be a tough sell. I don’t even know if I can recommend you to any of my clients. Everyone will wonder why you’re not a CTO or C-Level.”

Six said he was amazed the recruiter would say that.

Focus on ability, not age

One problem older workers face is that they may be judged on their age, not their experience or their ability and willingness to learn.

Marga Biller, senior project director at Harvard University’s Learning Innovations Laboratory, told BI that willingness to learn matters more than age. Older workers can keep up with their younger counterparts as long as the more experienced ones aren’t too wedded to the way they’ve done things in the past.

“It goes back to the mindset of ‘How well can you learn?'” she said.

And learning on the job often requires dedication – and a willingness to change the way work is done. It’s easy, for example, for workers of any age to report using AI. But some might dabble while others go deep. That can make all the difference, according to Karie Willyerd, chief learning officer in residence at training platform Skillable.

“We might both say we’re in the habit of using Copilot or ChatGPT all day, but we might use it in very different ways depending on our mindsets about what it can and can’t do,” she told BI.

Employers who lay off older workers risk losing top talent, according to Tom Murray, president of executive search and leadership consultancy Heidrick & Struggles.

He noted that one role that is seeing strong growth is that of Chief AI Officer. Murray said this is the type of work where know-how in managing teams and setting strategy is important. Experience can pay big dividends for these types of tasks.

“You have to run organizations that are very scaled — that everyone feels is most likely going to be the fastest growing organization within their company,” Murray told BI.

He said many employers are rightly focusing on developing the next generation of talent by hiring and helping to develop the skills of the existing workforce. He said it’s also important for employers to have a plan to attract more experienced workers.

“You have to be able to attract, develop and retain that talent,” Murray said.

Finally, both older and younger workers may face challenges when employers are of a different generation. In early 2024, Resume Builder reported that roughly one-third of hiring managers said they were biased against Gen Z candidates. A similar proportion expressed concern about hiring candidates over 60.

“You have to be aware of pitfalls like age bias,” Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at Resume Builder, previously told BI. “You have to know the landscape you’re in.”