Business Insider’s Post

Sorry Ana I know this a purely intentioned story and I do not mean to be disrespectful and forgive me if that is how this comes across. So 43 is old? I wonder what the oldest person Google has hired in the past 1-2 years? If he was a boomer is he doomed? Somehow this really bothers me and I'm not sure why? Maybe it's like hey "I'm black and I thought my skin was too dark!" Or "I'm a woman and I was concerned they wouldn't like red hair but they hired me anyway!" Seriously people, how is it OK to discriminate against older people in plain sight and yet I could get canceled for even writing this post? Open season on older people....?

One more thought. I'm 67 and am founder and CEO of an AI startup I founded when I was 66. In fact we are 20 people and 17 are women. There are 31 million entrepreneurs in the US. 20% of all Americans plan to start or have started a new company in the next 2-3 years. Why? Probably because boomers cant retire and no one will hire them. And yet 90% of these companies will fail and the 10% that succeed drive 67.7% of all new job creation. We need young people and older people to be productive and if we don't do that we are doomed and will continue to leave the world worse, not better, than we found it. OK my rant is over 😂

Too old at 43? I thought he would be at least in his 50s. To other's point, he is actually on the cusp of being a millennial, not a Gen X'er. In my opinion, this current trend is due to programming and has nothing to do with the talent or wisdom of Gen X'ers. Due to social media, millennials are the most image-obsessed generation in recent history. The US is becoming like China; the tech companies are very much this way. In China, over 40 is considered old, and if you lose your job in your mid 30s to 40s, no one will hire you. A woman of similar age will never get married and is considered elderly. Everyone in China is obsessed with youth because their life depends upon it. When I was reporting into the C-suite at Fortune 500s, the executives were in their 50s and 60s. VPs and Directors were usually in their 40s to 60s. I received so much mentorship and had admiration for these folks. This new way of thinking is not good for the survival of our species. Our lives are short, and experience matters a lot when solving complex, multi-dimensional problems. I believe Gen X is an ingenious generation and will eventually get their due. While appearing relaxed, we are the tough who get going when times are tough.

This story shouldn't be making headlines in the first place. It's like saying, "Wow, we just hired a woman/BIPOC/LGBTQIA person!" Like that's a novelty or something remarkable and fit for the press. Secondly, this "GenX'er" is a Millennial at 43. IF he's GenX, he's on the tail end of being a GenX'er, so this is misinformation or again, unremarkable either way. Being hired at 43 by Google should not be impressive. I'm surprised Business Insider even published this article or said someone at 43 is "older." Oh well.

Ageism happens in business for many more reasons than one would normally consider. For instance, the health benefits for those over 40 is a much larger portion of the claims and thus keeping a younger work force reduces the overall benefits costs to self-insured employers. Health costs are rising, and claims are increasing in the long term. Everything from Cancer to Weight loss are more prevalent as we age. That prevalence can be seen in the statistics and policies which are then implemented to help companies avoid the higher costs. I believe the culture of a company and the loyalty the company has for employees can be seen in the benefits offered to the plan members. We all age and we all need health care!

I can honestly say that age is a number.Now a days we have names(Gen-Z,Millennium,etc)for everything. Nothing to do with work qualifications or appearance. The health and experience of a human is what will get you somewhere.

I do not feel this person is even remotely in an “older age category”. If anything he is a seasoned professional and coming into his prime. I think we really need to be careful what ideas we are re-affirming with posts like this. I know many people well into their 50’s and 60’s who are leaders in their field and their expertise is valued.

Why are Gen Xers an after thought? IMO they're the hardest workers and have the experience to back it up.

None of this is inspiring. It confirms that ageism is rampant and one tech sector does not an economy, nor a job market, make. Just more gatekeeping...

Tell me about a candidate that gets hired by Google that is over 55 making $320,000 a year.