Do start-ups prefer younger employees?

14 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 15,2023 at 3:26AM UTC

   I was hired at three startups. Once at 48 then another at 55 then another at 65.

   Startups just want talent and flexibility because you will receive little training and wear many hats and work crazy hours. You in turn will make great money, will make life long friends and gain a momentum to your career that is impossible at more mature companies.

2. AnonymousMay 17,2023 at 12:52PM UTC

   this is positive news! thanks for sharing

3. AnonymousMay 17,2023 at 12:19PM UTC

   Ive spent nearly my whole career in start-ups. I’ve hired more than 100 during that time. My experience has been that startups want employees who bring big value for their price tag. They want hungry employees who don’t get caught up on how it should be and can build things up using MVPs and continuous improvement. While most businesses want those things, it’s the starting point that is different and it’s hard for some people. We look for people who think that sounds fun instead of scary.

4. Diane J HuffMay 17,2023 at 12:25PM UTC

   I wish I could agree with the previous commenters but I can’t. My experience with start-ups, especially technology startups is that they do PREFER younger hungrier and CHEAPER team members. They are more than willing to train and create a technology team in a bespoke kind of way rather than hire experienced strong engineers. However, I have noticed that they hire millennials or young GenX leaders - who then hire younger team members. They want strong experienced leaders - mid to upper management - and then young worker bees. But even their management has a breaking point of mid 40s. It’s not an absolute but in NYC and CA, it’s the most common model.

5. AnonymousMay 17,2023 at 5:01PM UTC

   Unfortunately I agree with you. I’m aging out soon, on the leadership side and can confirm there are frequently a handful of “adults” to lead the kids and that’s about it. How those relationships work depends on the specific company. I worked for one who was getting ready to IPO and everyone was awesome! But at the startup before that, the “kids” were disrespectful and gossiped a lot and I don’t care what they say specifically but it does become toxic when it’s constant and you have little support. What I lacked in that environment the most was peer support. You don’t realize how much you need it until you’re the only “adult” around to make big decisions and you have a bunch of kids pushing back.

   I’m interviewing now and have come across so many roles where younger millennials/older GenZ have been promoted to VPs etc and they seem to have little interest in hiring someone with more experience than them, especially someone who is requiring a higher salary. They don’t care about how much your experience can impact the company if your experience is a threat to them. (Not saying this is every young manager but I’ve encountered this many times in prior roles now and especially interviewing in the past year).

   I’m now considering other industries, as things aren’t going to get better as I age. It sucks because tech pays the best for me, but a smaller but livable salary in a place where you’re valued and respected is worth more than money.

   Good luck!

6. Dcre1977May 17,2023 at 12:42PM UTC

   It depends on the type of startup and the people involved. Also their ability to pay people right away

7. Kelly LeVoyerMay 17,2023 at 1:05PM UTC

   I worked for 2 startups between ages 50-53, both jobs I got through connections, and both were looking for mature, broadly experienced people. I will say, though, it was 3 of the hardest, most toxic years of my life (not because of the people I knew, but bad leadership). So, go in eyes wide open.

8. AnonymousMay 17,2023 at 1:10PM UTC

   I’ve worked at startups the first one had a lot of people over 40. It does depend on company and role but generally they want experienced people who are agile and lean so you can adapt and scale quickly. They are often fast paced but don’t always have time for any formalised training or onboarding so the more experienced you are is good. I would say when applying really focus on the lean, agile, adaptability and growth mindset. Things change fast at startups and how you work this year may be different to next year. Saying that you will learn so much on the space of a year so it’s a rewarding experience. If you have skills which you can use there to mentor and train others is also beneficial. Agree some want less experienced younger people for certain roles if they strict budgets and need cheaper staff. Don’t be put off applying I am in my late 40s and been working in tech and startups for nearly a decade.

9. Cynthia BlumMay 17,2023 at 2:03PM UTC

   I've spent the majority of my career working for startups (from my mid 20s to now mid 40s) and when hiring, age is less my concern than what the person can bring to the table and whether they could work well in a startup environment.

   I look for people who can be nimble, who can thrive in unstructured environments and who have the skills to do the job but also the ability to grow into more. (A colleague often would describe it as a person with a high ceiling.) Often when I interview people who have not worked for a startup before, I explain that startups are generally a place where the phrase "That's not in my job description" doesn't exist. If that phrase excites you, and the idea of getting to do new and different things is appealing even if you don't always know what you're doing, then you're in the right place. But if it fills you with fear and you prefer to have a very specific role and like to stay in your lane, then it might not be the right fit.

10. AnonymousMay 17,2023 at 2:15PM UTC

    35yrs+, need not apply

11. AnonymousMay 17,2023 at 5:01PM UTC

    They don’t say it, but they prefer younger employees. They are easier to manipulate and will work 247. My husband is 53 and works at a startup. He hates it. Not only is he expected to work late and weekends, he is expected to attend company happy hours, which he refuses to partake in because everyone keeps dumping work on him. If you are ok working 247 with little guidance and being berated, do it. Otherwise, I would not recommend applying. Most startups in my experience are not age friendly.

12. AnonymousMay 17,2023 at 5:40PM UTC

    Yes you do have a chance, ignore those who suggest you don't and when applying there show how dynamic and open you are to rapid changes and shifts and getting dirty with your hands. The best most successful folks who join startups are ones that are willing to do lots of things outside of the scope of what they are hired for, for the sake of building something new. Go for it.

13. Gillian ThackrayMay 17,2023 at 8:24PM UTC

    I would say to observe the environment and the rest of the team carefully. Echo a lot of other commenters that it can very much vary based on the startup in question. In general, what I have seen is that 'start ups' that are doing something where you have to get more training to even "start" are better for older people than 'start ups' that are about an ephemeral idea. Contrast a bio-tech start up (where a lot of folks will have PhDs that takes years to get and thus are older/more mature from the get-go) with a marketing or app-based 'start up' that may have a lot of folks who don't have as much life experience beyond college under their belt.

14. MislynMay 18,2023 at 1:02AM UTC

    I would say yes. Start ups usually look for employees they can mold into the type of employee they are looking for. If you are easily adaptable then I say go for it. Expertise usually not of interest because everyone is new and you will learn together.