October 15th, 2009
Is age-ism rampant in Silicon Valley and beyond?
I recently blogged about an article focused on Silicon Valley’s workforce and how the author, Tamara Carleton, believes that Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials can form a potent team.
In the innovation lifecycle, if Boomers serve as advisors and Gen Xers as the entrepreneurs, then the Millennials could provide potent networkers.
A reader writes:
As a member of the Boomer Generation and a longtime Silicon Valley worker, I can only hope that it happens that Boomers become trusted and knowledgeable advisers to Gen X’ers while Millennials do the work. My suspicion is that many, if not the majority, of those laid off in the last 2 years here in SV are actually Boomers who became “too expensive” for the tech companies here and thus were sacrificed.
I am one of them and I have been to many interviews but not offered jobs that I am very well-qualified to do. I guarantee you that age discrimination is running rampant in this so-called Valley of Heart’s Delight.
Only when this ceases will companies be available to consider the vast storehouse of knowledge that Boomers could provide.
Is he right? I certainly know many people in that same situation, people with masses of experience and talent yet they are in their 40s and 50s and unable to find work.
Is there discrimination against older people? If Silicon Valley cannot tap into all of its resources it won’t stand a chance in the global marketplace. But is this just a Silicon Valley phenomenon? I would guess that it’s much wider than that.
Is it because of healthcare costs? Or is something else the problem?
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Please see: Can Silicon Valley Attract the Right Workforce for its Next Turnaround? | Newgeography.com
Tom Foremski reports on the business and culture of Silicon Valley at the intersection of technology and media. He also writes at Silicon Valley Watcher. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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