Is professional experience being unfairly overlooked in favour of perceived cultural fit or cost-saving? And could building more effective intergenerational teams be the key to a more inclusive, resilient communications industry?
In our recent survey of over 450 freelance and interim professionals, 50% said their age had negatively impacted their ability to secure work. Many reported being labelled “overqualified”, passed over without explanation, or assumed to lack digital fluency — despite years of delivering strategic value and mentoring junior teams.
Meanwhile, our client survey highlights a disconnect:
- Clients rank age as the least important hiring factor, yet:
- 43% express concerns about older freelancers being overqualified or too expensive
- 32% question tech fluency
- 26% are unsure whether older professionals would take direction from younger managers
And yet, 93% of clients praise older professionals for their deep industry knowledge, with more than half highlighting their strategic thinking, reliability, and ability to mentor junior staff.
So, where does this leave us — and how do we bridge the gap between perception and reality?
We’re bringing together two leading voices to explore the issues and their solutions:
- Jo Carr, Co-founder and Chief Client Officer at award-winning creative agency Hope&Glory PR. With over 30 years’ experience building global consumer brands such as IKEA, Uber, Pepsi, and Airbnb, Jo brings deep industry insight. As President of Women in PR, she also leads efforts to tackle gender inequity in the industry and spearheaded the “40 Over 40” campaign to shine a light on mid-life female talent and experience.
- Emma Waldman, Emma Waldman is an editor and writer with the Harvard Business Review. Her published pieces cover the five generations at work, entrepreneurship, combating imposter syndrome, and managing multigenerational teams. Her research and findings are cited in Forbes, Inc., and Mashable publications. She has spoken on various panels and podcasts with the World Economic Forum, Stanford University’s Centre on Longevity, and Ford Motor Company amongst others, on the importance of age equity at work.
Together, we’ll unpack the barriers and explore what effective multigenerational teamwork really looks like in practice — and whether this shift could unlock the full value of experienced professionals in today’s workforce.
At the event, we will:
- Share key findings from The Work Crowd’s ageism survey of freelancers and clients
- Discuss insights from the Women in PR survey and Jo Carr’s perspective as a business leader
- Hear from Emma Waldman on the impact and implementation of intergenerational teams
- Explore where bias shows up in hiring – and how to challenge it
- Examine the value of knowledge transfer, mentorship, and the balance diverse age groups bring
- Consider whether intergenerational collaboration is essential for a more inclusive and high-performing industry
Who should attend?
PR and communications professionals, business leaders, hiring managers, and freelancers — anyone interested in creating teams that value experience, embrace age diversity, and drive stronger outcomes through collaboration across generations.
Event Details:
📅 Wednesday, 18th June, 1:15 PM GMT
📍 LinkedIn Live
Register now for your free reminder! We can't wait to see you there.