Let Qualifications Guide your Final Choice Regardless of Age

Create and share a summary of all of the hiring team’s interview rubric results so everyone has a visual overview of each candidate’s strength in the Core Five Skills. Talk about them by comparing all candidates on a specific skill, then all candidates on the next skill. This is more efficient and more likely to prevent age-bias than talking about one candidate’s full set of skills, followed by a full review of the next candidate.

Ask curious questions about each candidate’s perceived key strength and weakness. If your top candidates vary considerably by age, ask deliberate questions regarding ageist assumptions. For example: How might a perceived weakness function instead as a strength? How might a concern about “fit” actually add value to team discussions and decision making? What has this person learned from their experiences? How could the team benefit from their proven history of taking risks, persevering through difficulties and navigating ambiguity?

Ask questions that assess each candidate’s “additive contributions” that help you determine how a person adds to the portfolio of experiences and skills across your entire team. For example: How could this person’s approach help us get to better discussions and decisions? Does this person help me see outside my box? What depth in the Core Five Skills are missing on my team that this person has? How could this person unique perspective help our team approach decisions more creatively?

Reframe concerns about “overqualified.” Consider that an “overqualified” candidate may be one who will step in quickly to add value, reframe major challenges and give you a chance to continually evolve the team. They may, in fact, reinvigorate your whole team. Don’t assume “overqualified” means they are not excited about the job or are “settling” for it.

Reframe concerns that a candidate will be dissatisfied with the salary range. Consider that the candidate applied knowing the salary range in the job posting. Refrain from eliminating candidates based on assumptions about the salary and benefits they want due to their age. This applies to younger candidates as well, who may be more apt to push for more money. Offer them what you can, and see how they react.

Ask each reference for information that can help you assess the candidate’s “additive contributions” to the teams they join. For example “Tell me about a time when the candidate brought a unique viewpoint to your team, and how it influenced the value the team was able to create.”

Counter common age-based assumptions among hiring managers, which often show concern about retirement, potential health issues, and technology skills. Use data to help hiring managers see beyond the stereotypes.

Talk with the hiring team about where your team consistently used bias-reducing approaches so far in this specific hiring effort, where you did not and why. You can scroll through the best practices in each step of this Hiring Guide.

Consider if you want to reassess any candidates given what you discover. Perhaps your hiring team was comprised of people from the same age range, so you choose to take a second look at the older candidates who interviewed to ensure a fair review.

Once you are comfortable that your hiring process has been bias-aware when selecting the candidate who will add the most to your team, congratulations — you are ready to make the offer!

Personalize the offer to immediately create a sense of belonging on your team. If you have to use a standard offer letter based on company policy, create a supplemental document. You could include a welcome message from each interviewer. Be sure to include a fully diverse set of voices in the “you belong here” messaging that you wrap around the official nuts-and- bolts HR offer letter.

Provide contact information for current employees who can speak to the candidate’s personal questions about the organization, not just your team. For example, candidates may appreciate contacts for the Employee Resource Groups and a Human Resources contact for benefits and policy questions.

Pay attention to social norms when negotiating compensation. Social norms may affect how candidates advocate for themselves. Younger candidates and male candidates often negotiate more aggressively. Older candidates and female candidates may not be as assertive in negotiations or may be negatively perceived if they are assertive.

Be open-minded about whether experience does deserve higher compensation. It may be reasonable for a more experienced candidate to ask for higher compensation if they have the skills to come up to speed quickly and can bring their own personal networks or other experiences to generate unique and substantial value for the team.

Think broadly during compensation negotiations, as candidates in later life stages or career stages may be more focused on negotiating for benefits and flexible work than salary.