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Editor's Notes

1. BIO: Andrew Davis has recruited technical content developers in the SF Bay Area since 1995. He is a former software industry Technical Writer and has a reputation for both understanding and championing the role of content development. Andrew enjoys helping those who communicate complex information get ahead by recognizing and refining their value to technology companies. He's candid and connected and, just as importantly, he likes to help tech industry workers achieve their goals and achieve independence from intermediaries. Andrew ran Synergistech Communications during the Internet Gold Rush years and has recently returned to solo recruiting mode. Join him on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/synergistech) to learn more.
2. Thinking Aloud… My goals better matches, more empowerment My insights anecdotes, observations, ideas, but nothing researched or proven Your input working hypotheses, suggestions, objections
3. Location Northern California is expensive Most local companies want local workers Result: qualified local TWs aren’t cheap Age Most local software industry TWs are 50+, some <70 Most need to work until age 65 Experience Most TWs have 10+ years’ industry experience Most are subject-matter experts 1st, toolsmiths/technicians 2nd, and corporate citizens 3rd Meanwhile… There _is_ a new generation of local content developers, but in most cases they are degreed software engineers who have been recruited straight from campus and persuaded to write documentation as a means to getting aboard at top-tier companies such as Salesforce, Google, Oracle, LinkedIn, and Facebook. There are Gen Y workers who write well but identify more with software engineers than OCs do; meet these people through Write The Docs (WTD) meetups (http://www.meetup.com/Write-the-Docs). Whether this next generation remains in the field, as OCs have done, is an open question.
4. Ageism is real, but it’s very hard to prove. An adversarial stance, however justified, is always counterproductive. Also, increasingly, HTs create hybrid job descriptions (“programmer writer”, “content strategist and author”, “developmental editor”), with misaligned and/or opposed roles most candidates can’t prove they can play (and usually don’t want to). Finally, HTs tend to make choices based on unanimous input; dissenters routinely vote down a hiring choice based on unfounded fears, vaguely relevant past experience, or disagreement about the role’s priorities. And hiring managers, lacking experience and confidence, seldom overrule in favor of a “good enough” choice.
5. Underlying Concerns of the Hiring Team (HT), pt 1 Older candidate (OC) won’t be comfortable with HT’s culture (open seating, RedBull & vodka, pub crawls after work, nerf wars, snowboarding weekends) OC won’t have energy level or disposition to work weekends and pull all-nighters OC will get sick more often, drive up the cost of company’s health insurance coverage, and/or cause legal trouble if things don’t work out and HT lays the OC off OC won’t be tolerant of HT’s chaos (aka reluctance to plan, schedule, freeze code/GUIs, etc) OC won’t experiment wholeheartedly with new tools and systems (ie, “failing fast”), or will advocate for expensive, powerful tools (eg FrameMaker, Flare, CMSs) over open-source, simple ones (wikis, WordPress, etc)
6. Underlying Concerns of the Hiring Team (HT), pt 2 OC won’t be truly “agile” and eagerly wear more than one hat (whether that other hat is marketing, technical support, sales, UX, etc) OC will be reluctant to work onsite without an office or cube, and won’t contribute spontaneously and synergistically OC will argue based on experience (and bias), while HT will argue based on (untested) possibility OC won’t have the same instincts or value system as the product’s users, insisting that users actually read the doc when, perhaps, they’re used to Googling then cutting-and-pasting code samples. (Maybe) HT fears that “age and treachery will always triumph over youth and skill” – essentially that the OC-HT relationship will turn adversarial because of the cultural differences.
7. Addressing Employers’ Age-related Concerns OC may need to anticipate and explain how their work experience will benefit HT and the product, namely: Efficiency – past experience in similar situations yields a sixth sense for what works, what users need, and the easiest way to achieve goals Quality – past successes and failures help OC to understand and avoid typical pitfalls, recognize the right solution more readily, and deliver with less friction Focus – OC can easily tune out noise and apply effort where it’ll do most good Pacing – reluctance to wear oneself out on fire drills, and work steadily and sanely so all commitments get met over the long-term Self-awareness – understanding of own strengths and weaknesses, appreciating when to seek help (delegate) and accept suboptimal outcomes without blaming Frankness – realistic awareness of own limitations, candid assessment of risks Clarity – ability to set clear expectations and not overcommit (then bomb)
8. How are Older Candidates different? In this recruiter’s experience, OCs often offer all the advantages listed on this and the previous slide. However, their motivations often differ from those of the HT in important (and entirely valid) ways: Lifestyle matters to OCs more than conformity (i.e., preferring offsite work, separation of work and personal time, professional autonomy) OCs usually lack patience with politics OCs’ casual/confident attitude can be perceived as disrespect Appearances matter less to OCs. However, as Caesar’s wife said, “It’s not enough to be virtuous. You must also look virtuous.” OCs’ EQ (emotional intelligence) is all-important in their management’s eyes; if they mis-prioritize, they break trust and valuable alliances. OCs often want credit for what they know, and what they can contribute (regardless of whether they do); but HTs don’t like to be lectured. OCs usually have personal lives and little interest in socializing with colleagues of a younger generation OCs value “work/life balance”, tire faster (and bounce back more slowly), and are more wary of over-extending themselves
9. Legal, Professional, Cultural Issues to Explore Where do you (technical content developers) think the solution might lie? Can you suggest specific legal, social, professional, or similar solutions that are likely to help bridge the divide? Do you think it best to prove then prosecute ageism, or focus on educating HTs that it is in their interest NOT to ignore this resource? Basically, motivate with fear vs hope? Are OCs doomed to work only on temporary assignments, with no chance to integrate fully with Gen Y teams or reap the full rewards when those teams succeed?