An employer may discriminate against a certain group of people before even hiring them. One way this can happen is through age discrimination in job postings. Cases of qualified candidates, particularly older ones, feeling like they can’t apply for a job because an advertisement implicitly excludes them are reported yearly.
Here is how age discrimination can occur in a job posting:
The use of age-biased language
The language used in a job posting can imply a preference for younger workers. Terms, such as digital native, tech-savvy, young professional, recent graduate, high-energy, 0-2 years of experience, vibrant and cultural fit, can be age-biased.
The use of technological tools
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has, over the years, found that several companies use certain technologies to place job ads in front of younger people only. One of the techniques reported is social media ad targeting, where companies use age-restricting filters to exclude people above 40 years from seeing an ad.
Age-exclusion tools for job ads are becoming more restricted, with social media platforms tightening their policies. However, instances of only younger social media users seeing a job posting are still being reported.
Besides, algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) heavily weigh age and behavior to maximize ad relevance. While this is beneficial when a company is advertising a product or service, older people experience significant discrimination when such technologies are used in job ads.
The language used in a job ad also influences algorithms and AI. Including “digital native” or “recent graduate” in an ad can lead to it only being visible to younger people.
The use of age-biased language and technological tools to exclude older workers from applying for a job is unlawful. If you believe you have experienced this form of discrimination, get more information to know the next steps to take.