David Leppert

Managing Principal & Lead Consultant at Lexpert Services, LLC

Ageism ??

Curious about other folks over 55 - your experience / opinion @ ageism.

I feel more complete than ever. I have incredible experience, exceptional relationship skills, understand TEAM, and sales is in my DNA at this point. My health has never been better - I don't drink, nutritional nut case and run ultra-marathons...

YET... I feel like I get filtered out of a lot of opportunities without anyone ever seeing my real worth.

Curious about others experience & ideas.

👥 Hiring

🧢 Sales Management

38 comments

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oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

I’ve encountered it. I know I have. But there’s no way to isolate and kill it. It’s always an impression that’s inferred meeting a bias that’s never disclosed. The candidate cannot catch it. Nobody is stupid enough to say it out loud.

“Are you sure your old ass can handle the work without your bladder leaking into your adult diapers?”

Just won’t happen. At the same time- fuck them punks with a rusty branding iron. But that’s just me.

Edit: Just noticing you haven’t had a sales role since 96. If you’re currently trying to get one, that part of your resume would be a reddish flag if I saw it. It’s not age in this case. It’s about the role and how career appropriate it is for someone with your experience.

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

Bravado's Resident Asshole

Boom, glad someone said it. Relevancy

J.J.McLure

Politicker

Owner at *redacted*

I worked for a company that hired a guy who was around your age, he completely lied on his resume and it was clear in the first week that he couldn’t use a computer even. He was fired and it got ugly because he started claiming ageism and tried suing the company. After that the VP said she wouldn’t ever hire anyone over the age of 50 again, she will interview them and find some other reason not to hire.

So yes, it’s absolutely out there

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Ugh. That kind of shit just makes it so much harder for everyone else.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

Damn it - it truly does ❤

f2pftw

Opinionated

Retention Specialist

Dealing with one of those know. A year after onboarding and they still can’t remember who to email for what. Or when to send an email vs a help ticket

J.J.McLure

Politicker

Owner at *redacted*

Frustrating. And just to be clear, I’ve worked with people on their 20s that are the same way. Getting locked out of their CRM weekly, can’t remember what information they need to fill in etc. I’m all for quick firing when you see those red flags in the first couple weeks/months

f2pftw

Opinionated

Retention Specialist

Oh totally, lying on the resume comes in all ages

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Yes to all of this. If they aren’t computer literate they can’t survive in a modern tech sales role. Worse yet, if they haven’t kept their skills current, it speaks volumes about who they are going to be as an employee. There are ways to get at this in screening and interviews.

Standard aptitude screens can find it. Interview questions about their Twitter account or whether they’ve ever had one can tell much also. Nobody has time to teach this.

J.J.McLure

Politicker

Owner at *redacted*

I have very limited experience hiring for sales. What questions would you ask about Twitter and what would you hope to find out from this?

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

I think they have to show evidence of having lived online. A busy social account says they know how to message, post, click, etc. I just straight ask. Got a Twitter account? If yes, I’ll follow up with “what do you think of the recent changes?” If no opinion, they’re lying. I go straight to CRM from there. Which ones have you used? Which do you prefer? Why? What about this or that feature. If they don’t have an opinion, they don’t use one.

J.J.McLure

Politicker

Owner at *redacted*

Stealing this, thanks!

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

If they don’t know how to use a CRM- that’s game over. 👍 Please feel free to shoplift.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Ultras? I wouldn’t hire you on account of the pure hatred you hold inside for yourself.

Fenderbaum

Politicker

Retired Choirboy🪕

My Pops had a few ultra marathoner buddies, and they were a different breed altogether. Super healthy their whole lives, but they all passed fairly early, early-70's.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

The link between heart failure and long distance running/cycling (repeated events) is becoming more clear.

medhardwaredr

Opinionated

Director of Sales NA

Watching this one! Good question. I hire based on past experience and ability but there is definitely a stigma

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

What stigma? Like.. just floating out there in the universe for anyone to grab? Or maybe more like a hard bias that's never spoken?

Revenue_Rambo

Politicker

Director, Revenue Enablement

It’s like trading for Aaron Rodgers. You’re immediately a contender. All the younger guys can learn from their experience and work either.

On the flip side, you could get just 4 plays out of them.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Yeah, but trying to get foreplay out of your candidates is entirely different. Sicko

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

Bravado's Resident Asshole

lmao, you had to take it there.

medhardwaredr

Opinionated

Director of Sales NA

Hard bias for sure. I like experience however friends/ex coworkers have said they definitely see the challenges that can come with it. Definitely not everywhere but it happens plenty I’m sure

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

So when you see an older candidate, are you likely to seriously consider that person?

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

I’m going to venture that this acknowledgement of stigma is a self-owning statement.

medhardwaredr

Opinionated

Director of Sales NA

I am for sure however several of my sales buddies out there have mentioned the apprehension they sense when going for roles. Heck my father said it a few years before he retired in his mid-late 50s

Phillip_J_Fry

Opinionated

Director of Revenue

Senior Account Executive

Ageism seems to be the one form of bias that is still accepted in this country without public outrage.

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

If you can do the job you should get the role. Companies use a lot of excuses though. Why would I hire someone who will retire soon? Are they technical proficient with a computer? Will they demand more pay since they are more experienced?

In my opinion having people like this on your team can only benefit everyone else. Their wisdom and experience can be priceless in some cases, which can be used to help others in the work place. One of the guys I work with is over 70, and still selling. He does great and his technical expertise is unmatched.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Amen, homie. You might have to screen a bit harder up front, but if they pass let’em in. Adds sanity.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

I'm hired at my current company for what I can do for them now. Not in 10 years. That's the fun part of working in tech; you're generally not at a single company for the long haul (though as a 15+ year vet of a major tech company, it can happen).
I have to believe they could easily figure out my age by the grad date of my BA. But again, they hired me, for what I can do for them over the next few years, not my lifetime. That's the message. You're not signing a long time contract; most of us are at-will. Got the experience? Great!

SalesPharaoh

Big Shot

Senior Account Executive

I believe there is agesim, I seen it and it's concerning. I also know that people who are in shape tend to be perceived as more successful because they are disciplined on their body.

So I guess there are a couple of "stigmas" or prejudice around people who look of age:
Not open to new technology and general tech adoption
Stuck with "old school" things what are they? NO IDEA but it's something that will be held against us.
Why aren't you CEO or VP already? You must be a loser! I'm some will be quick to think that.
Those are things that are on top of my head and also heard them.

lowhangersalesbanger

Executive

Director of Sales

I have never cared about age in hiring but I have been on hiring committees where other members clearly did and we passed on candidates becauase of a percieved inability to "hang" with the workload. Funny enough I was the only sales manager on the committee and we had hired non sales roles that were older.

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

Sales Rep

Never was the victim of it, but saw it in the work place

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

🐺

I’ve felt it on the other side, of being filtered out by my age. At my old company, my manager was in insurance for 2 years and got an AE job, I was coming out of college with 4 years in insurance had a larger book of business than him and solid references, they wouldn’t interview me for an AE role only SDR bc I lacked tech experience, my manager told me I should’ve been hired as an AE or at least AM based on my experience. Can’t do anything about it. Fuck em.

You have experience if you’re not getting luck for a job, start a sales consulting and training business.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

Cut the earliest 5-10 years off your resume and only tell them “over 20 years experience”.

Your resume is what YOU want it to be.

SoccerandSales

Big Shot

Account Executive

It definitely is the case, especially in tech. I have been on the flip side of it too where people think I am too young even if my resume speaks for itself

Justatitle

Big Shot

Account Executive

probably but there are companies that get a warm and fuzzy from hiring experienced pros like you just have to find them unfortunately

GDO

Politicker

BDM

It will happen. Not only because they think you'll underperform. But also because they expect you want to grow and they are scared for their role.

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David Leppert

Ageism ??

38 comments

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