Age discrimination in hiring is alive and well, and it harms both older and younger job candidates, Business Insider reported.

More than one third of hiring managers said they were biased against Gen Z candidates (36 percent) and older candidates (34 percent) a survey of hiring managers by Resume Builder found. Furthermore, more than four in 10 (42 percent) of hiring managers said they considered an applicant’s age when reviewing a resume.

"You need to be aware of pitfalls like age bias," Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at Resume Builder, told Business Insider. "You have to know the landscape you're in."

Hiring managers employ a number of methods to determine a candidate’s age, the survey reported; they calculate years of experience (82 percent), note graduation dates (79 percent), and look for a photo (46 percent).

Some TikTokers who focus on career advice encourage people to delete their graduation years. 

Haller agreed with that. "It matters that you got the degree,” she said. “Does it matter if you got it last year or 20 years ago? It shouldn't.” But recruiters determined to find an applicant’s age can go on social media sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn if they really want to know, she added.

Of the percentage that admitted not wanting to hire Gen Z-ers, 77 percent expressed concerns about their lack of experience, 58 percent about their unprofessional attitude, and 63 percent about their tendency to job hop. Fully half had doubts about Gen Z’s reliability, and 46 percent questioned their work ethic.

“Our surveys have shed light on the reasons behind managers’ reluctance to embrace Gen Z, often citing concerns about their lack of experience, professional skills, and tendency for high turnover rates,” said Haller. “Much of this sentiment has been exacerbated by the challenges posed by the pandemic, which has disrupted how entry-level candidates learn how to be successful in the workplace.”

As for older workers, three quarters of respondents were concerned an older worker might soon retire, nearly two thirds were worried that they would experience health problems, and half cited their lack of experience with technology.

Physical appearance was also found to contribute to age bias during interviews, especially for senior candidates, the survey found. Four of 10 hiring managers said they would be deterred from considering a candidate if he or she had an elderly appearance.

“Both younger and older job seekers must recognize that ageism exists within the hiring process,” said Haller. “Implementing practical strategies such as removing graduation dates from resumes and LinkedIn profiles, only showcasing job experiences from the past 15 years, and adopting modern email addresses are some ways to effectively combat age-based bias.”

This survey was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish. It was launched on March 21, 2024. Overall, 1,000 hiring managers completed the full survey.

To qualify for the survey, all participants had to be over the age of 25, have a salary of over $50,000 and work for a company with more than 11 employees.