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Change is one of the few guarantees in this life. There’s always a new technology or a fresh way to do things - it’s human to always look for something newer and better. It’s no surprise that the job market isn’t any different. There has been an increasing focus on pushing out older workers in favor of younger, less experienced candidates. And people are starting to notice. This bias against older candidates stems from all sorts of misconceptions, but most prevalent is the idea that they simply can’t keep up in an ever-changing landscape.
However, our recent study shows quite the opposite. In fact, we discovered that older candidates bring unique and invaluable strengths to the table that are often underestimated–if not just flat-out ignored.In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at how older candidates excel in the workforce, specifically through the lens of two innovative metrics: learning agility and distance traveled.
What are learning agility and distance traveled?
Before we look closer at our study and the implications of the results, it’s important to define two key metrics that we used to evaluate our pool of candidates.
Learning Agility is the ability to adapt quickly, leverage past experiences, and apply lessons to new or challenging situations. It encompasses traits like experimentation, self-reflection, and mindfulness. If a candidate scores highly on this trait, it shows that they have a higher likelihood of allowing individuals to navigate today’s workplace’s unpredictable nature.
Distance Traveled, on the other hand, measures a candidate’s accomplishments relative to their starting point. Instead of simply looking at impressive names or job titles, we wanted to find a way to consider the obstacles an individual has overcome. This allows us to get a better measure of their story, and the unique trajectory of their life.
Both metrics offer a fresh perspective on candidate evaluation and aim to create a more equitable way of measuring one's value as a potential employee.
Findings from our tesearch
In our pilot study of 385 U.S. adults, we uncovered some surprising patterns that challenge traditional assumptions about hiring.
One of the most notable findings was the positive correlation between age and distance traveled. This means that as age went up, the scores for the metric of Distance Traveled went up as well. This suggests that older individuals are more likely to show traits like resilience and grit when compared to their younger counterparts.
Interestingly, our data also revealed that participants without bachelor’s degrees scored higher in Distance Traveled than those with degrees. This implies that those who have navigated nontraditional career paths, often develop meaningful life skills that allow them to grow in a unique way.
In addition, learning sgility also showed a positive correlation with age. Older participants exhibited higher levels of this metric, suggesting that accumulated professional experience equips individuals with the adaptability to face new challenges and apply lessons learned across different contexts.
As most people are still of the belief that younger candidates intrinsically are more adaptable than older ones. If you take a holistic look at these discoveries, we can make a big challenge to biases in traditional hiring practices. Let’s take a look at what this means in practice.
Why older candidates excel
There is an old saying that you’ll probably recognize: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But the fact of the matter is, people aren’t dogs—they’re people. And older candidates bring real advantages to the table.
For example, older candidates have had more opportunities to navigate life’s ups and downs, which helps them build resilience and grit. Research by Gooding et al. (2012) shows that resilience increases with age, as individuals draw on cumulative life experiences to handle adversity. Similarly, Duckworth and Quinn (2009) found that grit—perseverance in achieving long-term goals—grows stronger with time as well.
Contrary to stereotypes, older candidates are actually highly adaptable. They’ve had to constantly evolve with changing landscapes in the business and technological worlds. Our findings align with Dragoni et al. (2009), who argue that accumulated professional experience enhances learning agility, enabling older individuals to respond to new challenges with confidence and creativity.
Older professionals are often more capable of not just surviving but thriving in volatile or high-pressure environments. Taleb’s (2012) research highlights how exposure to real-world challenges sharpens antifragility over time, making older candidates better equipped to handle stress and turn adversity into opportunity.
The implications for hiring
Traditional hiring practices are straightforward; you likely know them well. You take a look at someone's degree and the job titles they’ve had and make a judgment from there. However, it’s become abundantly clear that this line of thinking can lead to gross oversights and miscalculations, especially for older candidates from nontraditional career paths. However, by taking a closer look at a candidate's story, talent acquisition teams and hiring managers can:
Recognize hidden talent
Enhance team dynamics
Foster diversity