[ART.] TALENT ISN’T THE ISSUE — BIAS IS
TALENT ISN’T THE ISSUE — BIAS IS
Article written by Victor Carulla, Managing Partner at Headway Executive Search
In Spain, nearly half of job seekers admit to having experienced age discrimination—and among those over 45, the figure exceeds 50%.
Even more striking: 1 in 3 unemployed people is already over 50, and bias affects more than 87% of the population.
This discrimination typically starts around the age of 45 for specialist, technical, and low/middle management roles. For Senior Management and C-level positions, it tends to be less pronounced—and when it does appear, it’s usually from 55 onwards.
We work on projects linked to this latter segment, and that’s precisely where we find the crème de la crème: professionals aged 45 to 55+.
This is the golden age.
These individuals bring immense experience. They’ve navigated multiple crises, built resilience, consistency, a global perspective, influence, adaptability—and many more qualities I won’t bore you with.
Yet, as the workforce ages—with millions of professionals set to exit the market in the coming years without sufficient replacement—we continue to discard senior talent based on outdated and unfounded biases.
Ageism is often driven by companies themselves. And unfortunately, we witness it more often than we should in this fascinating world of executive search, where I’ve had the privilege of working for over 25 years.
The real problem isn’t age. It’s the fear of challenging mediocre decisions.
Too often, we see professionals in the so-called “People” function:
– Avoid challenging clearly biased business decisions
– Accept unrealistic briefs (“younger”, “more dynamic”)
– And, in the worst cases, act as mere filter enforcers rather than true strategic advisors
Being a “business partner” is not about agreeing.
It’s about questioning.
It’s about judgment.
It’s about standing up for talent—even when it’s uncomfortable.
👉 We consistently present candidates over 55
👉 In more than half of the cases… they are the ones who get hired
👉 And they stay the longest (more than double the average tenure)
Not because of quotas.
Not because of narrative.
Because of VALUE.
When bias disappears, talent appears.
The real problem isn’t age. It’s the fear of challenging mediocre decisions.
If we truly want competitive, diverse, and sustainable organizations, we need teams where generations coexist—not where they are excluded.
If the person is right for the role, forget their age.
We recently placed a 63-year-old professional in a company with an average age of 36—and it was a resounding success for both sides. It wasn’t easy. The decision was questioned. But HR leadership was brave, stood their ground, and we made it happen.
The result? The CEO congratulated us for bringing in a fresh perspective. Over the following two years, three more professionals over 55 joined the company.
And it all starts with something very simple:
having the courage to say, “I don’t agree.”
