A few years ago, I started noticing something that I hadn’t paid much attention to earlier in my career.
When an organization had a difficult problem to solve, the person who quietly steadied the ship was often the most experienced one in the room.
It wasn’t always the CEO. It wasn’t always the person with the biggest title. It was the individual who had simply seen a lot before.
After more than 30 years in executive recruitment, I’ve interviewed thousands of people and worked with a multitude of organizations. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that experience isn’t just about what you’ve done. It’s about how you think.
Yet many employers still approach hiring as though youth and potential automatically outweigh experience and judgment.
I think that’s a mistake.
When I look at people over 55, I don’t just see years of employment. I see someone who has lived through recessions, mergers, restructurings, difficult bosses, and changing technology. They’ve adapted more times than they remember.
All those years teach you when to speak and when to listen. They teach you that not every problem needs an immediate solution. They teach you how to disagree without creating conflict and how to lead without always needing the spotlight.
Those aren’t soft skills. They’re business skills.
I also think employers underestimate something else.
Many people over 55 aren’t chasing the next promotion. They’re not looking for the corner office or the biggest title. They’re looking for meaningful work, good colleagues, and an organization where they can make a contribution.
Ironically, those are often the very employees organizations say they want.
Canada’s workforce is changing. We have an aging population, persistent labour shortages in many sectors, and people who are healthier and working longer than previous generations. It seems odd to me that, at the very moment experienced workers have so much to offer, some employers are quietly screening them out.
I’ve also noticed something about teams.
The strongest ones rarely consist entirely of people who think alike or are at the same stage of life. Younger employees often bring fresh ideas, new technology, and different ways of seeing the world. Older employees often bring perspective, judgment, and stability.
One group isn’t better than the other. They’re better together.
Whenever I hear someone say they’re looking for “the best candidate,” I hope they really mean it. Because if they do, age shouldn’t be the first thing they notice. It should be the last.
The best hiring decisions I’ve seen were never based on the date on someone’s birth certificate. They were based on what that person could contribute.
And in my experience, that’s a much better way to build a team.