DEI is a topic on everyone’s minds these days, as it should be.
What too many people don’t recognize is DEI means so much more than the color of our skin, our gender, who we love, or even our religion. It can also mean diversity in disabilities, and it can also mean diversity in age.
This is something we experience daily as young professionals, and as experienced professionals, it is important to recognize how it impacts the YoPros you work with and how we can acknowledge it while making the workplace a better experience for all.
Here’s a brief list, thanks to the help of several interviews with YoPros on the matter, of tips to consider when working on recognizing diversity of age in the workplace.
Experience does not always equal being right.
Young professionals: don’t let yourself get scared to speak up when you don’t have experience. You have a lot to offer – remember that!
Experienced professionals: the young professionals you work with probably have great ideas that you’ve never thought of – take advantage of new and fresh ideas!
Learn that diversity in age means understanding new cultures.
Young professionals: Your way is not always the right way (i.e., being on your phone all the time)
Experienced Professionals: it’s not okay to judge young professionals because our culture is different from yours. Learning new cultures is an opportunity to grow as a company. When you are stuck in what you’ve always done, you’re not helping anyone.
Diversity in age generates new ideas.
How cool is it that we have innovation right at our office by looking around at the people we work with? When different age groups come together, there are endless opportunities. Oftentimes, they can’t see past their differences (young professionals might think older professionals are slower to understand something tech-related; experienced professionals might assume we, the YoPros, are rushing through something).
As a culture, our workplace should embrace diversity of age in the workplace. It's an opportunity to learn and create change.
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