Personally, I find this a rather poorly written article. It seems the only older workers the author believes exists are the “unqualified, lazy, unethical, stupid, or antisocial”, as if no younger workers exhibit the same traits.
I’m fortunate to work for a company that values experience. In my department, I’d guess the average age is about 50 (I’m 51 and far from the oldest). We hire people who have experience in military technology (primarily space and aviation) and train them to do our work. It’s easier to do that than it is to take someone younger and teach them what they need to know about space. Our customers love us because we help them design and manage very complex systems. Younger people – even the technically capable ones – just lack the experience to make the right decisions.
Some companies have a business model of foregoing experience to hire cheaper labor. They win contracts based on low price, not technical capability or past performance. These companies have the reputation of dumping older employess because they tend to draw higher salaries. Very often, you get what you pay for. You want cheap, you get cheap. However, quality endures. You want quality, well, it’s going to cost you.
