Recruitment Software Company Actively Promotes Age Discrimination

by A. Horrigan
Dec 8, 2017

Recruitment software maker iCIMS is openly promoting ageism on LinkedIn, saying older workers aren't as creative, adaptable and independent.

A recent iCIMS LinkedIn post offers "7 Tips for Recruiting Millennials" and clicks through to this statement:

"68% of hiring managers agree that millennials surpass previous generations in terms of creativity, adaptability, and independence."

iCIMS does not provide a complete citation for this blatantly discriminatory statement, simply noting "Upwork" as its source.

My guess is they are referring to a 2014 article on Upwork's website titled, "Hiring Managers Say Millennials Surpass Prior Generations In Several Key Business Skills, New Study Reveals."

The article describes a study sponsored by Elance-oDesk (now Upwork) and Millennial Branding titled, "The 2015 Millennial Majority Workforce.”

So this is how lies get made.

The sponsors say the study was conducted by an "independent" research firm, Red Brick Research, which touts itself as a provider of "fearless insight, with a beating human heart." (Its hearts look to be mainly 20-something and white, but then we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, should we?)

Screenshot of the marketing page where iCIMS propagates discriminatory statements about older workers based on stereotype-driven research sponsored by Elance-oDesk (now Upwork) and Millennial Branding

The 2014 study compares millennials (born 1982-1993) with generation Xers (born 1959-1981). It is patently discriminatory and stereotyping by design, full of leading questions and premised on the assumption that hiring managers are unbiased (plenty of real scientific studies have shown the exact opposite--that employers discriminate against older men and even more against older women when making interviewing and hiring decisions).

The study only asks millennials and 30-and-up hiring managers what they think. Elance-oDesk created a horrendous infographic from the results:

Screenshot of Elance-oDesk (Upwork) infographic which promulgates stereotypes codified through a study commissioned from Red Brick Research in 2014. iCIMS recently used the research to market its recruitment software on LinkedIn.

Take a look at the study presentation to see some of the laughable leading questions that pander to existing stereotypes and bias, such as asking to what extent those surveyed agree with the statement, "Millennials can learn new things more quickly."

Well I'll tell you what I've learned quickly today: companies like iCIMS are using bad research like this to perpetuate stereotypes.

To those hiring managers who think millennials surpass previous generations in creativity, adaptability and independence, try telling that to their parents who invented the internet and the generation before them who fought for us in World War II and rebuilt lives after being in concentration camps and built the companies that employ many of us today. Try thinking historically so you can face the future.

To iCIMS, Upwork, Millennial Branding and Red Brick: Thanks, you guys, this is a big time saver for us folks with wrinkles--we won't have to go on any interviews because they won't even call us!

But in all seriousness, perhaps it's time to stop segmenting our populations into artificial (and discrimination-promoting) demographic groups for the benefit of marketers. Blockchain technology and sites like Steemit can help make this happen, by weaning content off of marketing so it depends less on advertising dollars and more on what's truly valuable to humankind, starting with truth and accuracy.

And let's stop pretending "digital natives" should be the main ones to guide society. Now more than ever we need the guidance, prudence, wisdom--and yes, creativity and adaptability--of older workers, as we embark on an era of automation, artificial intelligence, gene editing, crypto-economics, universal surveillance and who knows.

To build this future to the best of our abilities, it's only common sense that we need the skill sets and experience of both young and old.

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