NUDGING
Positive attitudes to age diversity
Reminding people of a company’s core values is more than mere PR. | Photo: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels
Older employees are regarded as inflexible and less productive. But if a company makes a brief public statement in favour of age diversity, it can help to counteract these prejudices. An online study on the topic was co-organised by Franciska Krings, a business psychologist at the University of Lausanne. Participants had to select a team to complete a specific task, and were promised a financial bonus if their team was successful. After being shown a positive age diversity statement, the participants were also happy to select older people for their team. “Even offering just a brief reminder of a company’s core values can help to counteract discrimination”, says Krings.
