Quark's

Let’s stop this idiotic hazing ritual. 15 years ago I was a recent grad and people were saying similar stuff. These attitudes kept people my age out of many workplaces. It was shortsighted.

I was rejected many times before I got my first job, and managers in my first roles used my age against me a lot, especially when I didn’t stay in my lane. Finally a company removed my leash and treated me as an opportunity rather than a threat, and they got a big return on that investment, but it took years to find a place like that.

We were acquired and I’m doing other stuff now, but when I see my products in the wild, I sometimes wonder about all those hiring managers who couldn’t see past my age. Did they ever learn that unreplaceable means unpromotable? Did they ever learn to have a bench? What would we have built together if they weren’t so afraid of change?

Of course this is just one story, and profit isn’t a proper motive for doing what’s right. But those who don’t care that ageism is bad for society should at least consider that it’s bad for business and their careers.

There are plenty of millennials looking for work. If I could hire someone with work experience or something with no experience, the choice is obvious.

Additionally, I have heard complaints about gen z from millennials and older. Even in my very very small business, gen z workers have been very unreliable.

The work they do is to make things, they are paid for the things they make. They are paid well above the market rate. Like significantly higher, but they still disappear for a month or two at a time without warning and don’t respond to messages.

There is always a final exam or family emergency. I don’t mind if they take time off, but c’mon. How many finals exams can you have per year.

So due to their lack of communication I often need to find people to replace them. Millennial workers are hard working and produce high quality work. They often over communicate.

So this is my perspective on the issue.

I do have some very good gen z workers and some bad millennial workers, but that is the exception.