Greywashing 101: The Illusion of Including Older Workers

You’ve heard it before:

“We value experience.”

Then they ghost you for having it!

Welcome to greywashing.

The corporate costume party where age inclusion is just a mask and older professionals are quietly filtered out by AI, ATS, and coded language. Lines like, “you’re overqualified” or “we want a digital native…” simply translate to:

You’re too old, too seasoned, and too expensive.

The illusion of inclusion is real. But this isn’t just bias. It’s a fully blown business epidemic hidden in plain sight.

Nearly half of professionals over 40 say they’ve been shut out because of their age, yet only 8% of DEI programs even acknowledge it.

On the other hand, companies like Workday, IBM, Facebook, and PWC are under legal fire for allowing AI-driven tools to quietly screen out older applicants.

This isn't progress; this is exclusion with a new interface.

In this episode, I expose the truth behind performative inclusion and show you how to spot it, expose it, and outsmart it.

• How “inclusive” job posts still signal: you’re not wanted
  
• Why “digital native” isn’t a compliment, it’s a filter
  
• The 3 biggest myths keeping age bias invisible
  
• How to reframe your experience as the solution to urgent, expensive problems
  
• The power of pattern recognition and how to make it your superpower

Here’s what it looks like when you stop playing defense and start owning your edge.

The system’s flawed. But your positioning? That’s power.

You’re not too old.
You’re too qualified to play small.

Loved the episode?

Get a copy of my ebook Turn Age Into Your Advantage

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorengreiff/

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portfoliorocket/

Watch my podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGM7j8croBkkZ4bLqN7DOQ/