The dog whistle of “culture fit” in tech hiring — a barrier for older candidates
In the tech world, where innovation and disruption reign supreme, hiring managers frequently use terms like “culture fit” to evaluate prospective employees. At first glance, it seems harmless — ensuring a candidate aligns with a company’s values, work ethic, and team dynamics. But for older job candidates, particularly in tech, “culture fit” often serves as a subtle dog whistle, signaling ageism cloaked in professional jargon.
What does “culture fit” really mean?
“Culture fit” is intended to describe a candidate’s ability to work harmoniously within an organization’s environment. However, it’s increasingly wielded as an ambiguous criterion to reject qualified applicants, especially older candidates, without concrete explanations. Often, it reflects biases about work style, energy, or adaptability — traits wrongly assumed to diminish with age.
For example, the tech industry glorifies youth and speed, equating them with innovation. Older candidates, despite decades of valuable experience, may be dismissed for not aligning with a so-called “startup mentality” or being perceived as less open to change.
The reality for older tech workers
Older professionals in tech face a minefield of stereotypes:
- They’re seen as less adaptable to new tools and methodologies.
- They’re thought to lack energy or enthusiasm.
- Their years of experience are sometimes reframed as “being set in their ways.”
This bias persists despite evidence that older professionals bring critical thinking, mentorship skills, and a depth of knowledge often lacking in younger teams. Yet hiring managers, consciously or not, use “culture fit” to sidestep these contributions.
How “culture fit” masks ageism
The problem lies in the subjective nature of culture fit assessments. Questions about whether someone would “get along with the team” or “embrace our values” allow unchecked biases to influence hiring decisions. Hiring managers may inadvertently lean toward candidates who mirror their own demographics — often younger employees — leading to homogenized teams and perpetuating systemic discrimination.
For older candidates, this creates a lose-lose scenario. If they lean into their experience, they risk being labeled overqualified or inflexible. If they downplay it, they’re seen as lacking enthusiasm or ambition.
Strategies to overcome the culture fit barrier
To level the playing field, both candidates and organizations must take proactive steps:
For older candidates:
- Reframe experience as adaptability: Highlight times when you learned new skills or adapted to change, countering the stereotype of inflexibility.
- Embrace emerging tools: Demonstrate fluency in contemporary technologies — generative AI, DevOps tools, or collaboration platforms like Notion and SharePoint — showing you’re not stuck in the past.
- Showcase energy: Your demeanor in interviews matters. Show curiosity, enthusiasm, and an openness to learning.
For organizations:
- Define culture add, not fit: Instead of asking whether a candidate fits the existing culture, ask how they can enrich it with unique perspectives and skills.
- Standardize hiring criteria: Use objective measures to evaluate skills and qualifications, reducing the influence of implicit biases.
- Foster multigenerational teams: Celebrate the value of diversity in age and experience, recognizing the strengths older employees bring to mentorship, leadership, and problem-solving.
A call for change
As the tech industry continues to evolve, it must shed outdated biases about age. The very ethos of tech — innovation, collaboration, and inclusion — demands it. Hiring for “culture fit” should not mean hiring for sameness or youthfulness. It should mean building teams that are adaptable, diverse, and united by shared goals — not superficial similarities.
It’s time to retire the dog whistle and create workplaces where professionals of all ages can thrive. Because culture isn’t about fitting in — it’s about everyone, from every background, bringing their full selves to the table.
Will Kelly is a writer, marketer, and keen observer of the IT industry. Medium is home to his personal writing. He’s written for CIO, TechTarget, InfoWorld, and others. His career includes stints in technical writing, training, and marketing. Follow him on X: @willkelly.
