Why the Hiring System Fails Experienced Talent and What We Can Do About It
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by Lisa Macmillan:
I read a post last week that truly stopped me in my tracks.It captured what job-hunting in your 50s really feels like the silence, the rejection, the quiet disappearance of confidence.
One line stayed with me: “you follow the rules, you wait politely… and you get silence.” It hit me hard. And it stayed with me.
I still feel like I’m 30 half the time especially on a dance-floor!
Age isn’t a loss of energy or ambition. It’s just a longer timeline and often, a better story.
The System Isn’t Built for Experience
Over the years, I’ve supported senior communications and marketing professionals across the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
People with global insight, calm under pressure, and judgment honed by experience.
People who’ve led through restructures, crises, and transformation.
And yet many of them are struggling to even get a call back.
What Gets Lost
The hiring process today is fast, automated, and obsessed with “fit.” It often filters for sameness not depth.
In that process, we lose:
People with strategic maturity
Those who’ve made decisions under pressure, not just studied best practice
Professionals who’ve managed global complexity, internal politics, and long-game relationships
And instead, we fall back on tired labels like “overqualified,” “too senior,” or “not the right culture fit.”
The irony?
In an age of disruption with AI, stakeholder complexity, and constant change, the need for this kind of experience has never been greater.
AI tools can scan a CV. But they can’t replace human nuance, voice, or leadership.
They don’t navigate crisis. They don’t earn trust.
They don’t mentor a team through ambiguity or rebuild culture after upheaval.
AI still needs oversight. It needs judgment.
It needs people who’ve lived through transformation not just talked about it.
Where Do We Go From Here?
We can’t fix this overnight.
But we can acknowledge that the system as it stands isn’t working for everyone.
If you’re job searching and this feels close to home:
You are not broken.
You’re not invisible.
And you’re not even close to done.
You may need to reposition your story but you don’t need to shrink it.
Your experience still matters.
It’s not dated it’s relevant.
And it’s desperately needed in organisations trying to make sense of complexity and build trust in uncertain times.If you’re hiring, look again at who’s being screened out often before they’ve had a chance to speak.
Ask why every CV looks the same.
Don’t mistake cultural comfort for fit.
Experience is part of diversity too.
What I’m Trying to Do
I’m having quiet conversations with candidates who feel stuck and with hiring leaders who want to do better.
No loud crusade.
No big promises.
Just steady, practical support and real talk.If you’re navigating this space or care about making it better I’m here.
Not because I have all the answers.
But because no one should go through this alone
.In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more about what job search looks like for others too from early career to career changers.
Because age bias isn’t the only barrier people face.N
Need a fresh perspective on your job search or how to hire more inclusively?
I work with experienced communications and marketing professionals around the world and with organisations ready to do things differently.
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Lisa Jane MacMillan is a dedicated global headhunter and talent consultant with a passion for connecting top talent to transformative opportunities, bringing over 20 years of expertise across various industries.
