71 pc Indian workers from MNCs saw age-related bias in job ads for their roles: Report

BILKULONLINE

New Delhi, June 4: About 71 per cent of Indian employees from MNCs (multinational corporations) headquartered in the country noticed age-related bias in job advertisements for their roles, compared to 57 per cent from other organisation types, a new report showed on Monday.

According to recruitment agency Randstad India, about 40 per cent of the surveyed workforce have either experienced or witnessed ageism at work. “Ageism is one of the most overlooked unconscious biases made at the workplace across levels. Overcoming ageism requires a conscious effort to recognise and challenge stereotypes to create an environment where experience and fresh perspectives are equally valued,” said Viswanath PS, MD & CEO, Randstad India.

The report surveyed about 1,000 Indian workers. As per the report, younger age groups experienced more age discrimination than older age groups. About 42 per cent of women reported experiencing or witnessing ageism, compared to 37 per cent of men. Employees from MNCs headquartered in India reported higher instances of ageism, with 41 per cent saying they faced age-related biases, while for MNCs headquartered outside of India, 29 per cent agreed there was age-related bias in their workplace.

“Today, a lot of skilling and training programs tend to focus on younger employees. However, it is equally important to develop such programmes for the older generation to expose them to new ways of working and changes in technology and business,” said Meena Ganesh, Chairperson and Co-founder of Portea Medical. In addition, the report highlighted the unique challenges faced by different demographic groups, such as those with caring responsibilities, physical or mental impairments, and diverse sexual orientations, who report higher incidences of ageism.