– Change begins with the language – says Dagmara Szymczak, president of the Dignum Foundation, a 50+ Women's coach and a member of the Council for Senior Policy. – A cultural change comes with a change in language. How we talk about someone shapes organizational reality.
The problem is that the language usually does not keep up with social changes. Many terms were created in a different reality – with other roles, structures and identities. Today they are becoming an imperceptible barrier: in recruitment, daily cooperation and communication of the organization.
Stereotype neuropsychology: why the brain needs labels
What words we use is not accidental. As explained by Katarzyna Ociepka-Miąsik, senior consultant of the Diversity Hub Foundation in the DEI area, a facilitator, moderator Design Thinking, researcher of trends and organizational culture, three centers are responsible for building stereotypes in the brain: almond body, prefrontal bark and hippocampus.
– Hippocampus stores memories and creates automatic associations. The almond body triggers immediate emotions in the body. The prefrontal bark is responsible for reflection. The key is, however, that Only about five percent of all our behavior, the brain submits this reflection. The rest are automatic reactions, also language – explains the expert.
The dimension that the brain uses great to create mental shortcuts is of course age. Therefore, if, for example, the organization employs the fifth young person who leaves after a month, the other employees will be convinced that the next young people will be the same and delete them at the start.
Prof. Jacek Wasilewski, a media expert and language researcher, adds: – Stereotypes appear so that it is easier for people to live because we need to automate various cognitive processes. The problem begins when we begin to discriminate against others through these stereotypes.
A case of “silvers”: apparent neutrality, which, however, excludes
The story of the word “Silversi” perfectly illustrates the mechanisms of creating and consolidating stereotypes. – This word was supposed to be positive, elegant. But for many people 50+ has become a label – says Dagmara Szymczak. – Studies show that as much as 80 percent People aged 50-75 found them negative and excluding. It was broadcast from the outside, without asking the interested parties.
This term, cooked by economists in the late seventies of the last century, became popular in the early two -thousand years, when the fifty meant the end of his career. However, over the past 25 years, the identity of fifty -year -olds has changed radically.
As Jacek Wasilewski emphasizes, it is also problematic that the word “Silversi” throws several generations into one bag, which is often divided by the gap. – It's flattening. The difference between a 50-year-old and 80-year-old is greater than between a 20-year-old and a 50-year-old.
What's more, the importance of linguistic expressions changes with the social context. – Words change significance. It is true that the language shapes reality, but we also shape words – emphasizes the media expert. – If a negative stereotype stands behind a word, it can be changed, but in a moment this stereotype will move to the replacement of the word.
Recruitment, which (accidentally) excludes
One sentence in a job advertisement is enough for someone to feel that he is not welcome. – “Young, dynamic band” is a code that says: “We are looking for a specific type of person” – explains Agnieszka Operalska, co -founder of the Heart & Mind Foundation, Wisdom of Generations.
In addition, there are nuances invisible at first glance: – ATS systems can recognize the age of the candidate by language style. Older people write formally, younger people use slang and abbreviations, so already at the CV stage they can be automatically served – adds the expert.
Four generations meet today in organizations. Each has different communication habits. The differences relate to the length of emails, jargon, response pace, writing style. Even emoticons are a source of misunderstandings – For a generation with a thumb up it can mean irony or disapproval, for 50+ people simply consent.
The cost of exclusion is borne by the companies themselves
If the team consists of a copy of the same people, there is no question of innovation – emphasizes Agnieszka Operhalska. – And excluding language, even unconscious, creates such homogeneous, closed structures. People who do not find themselves in the adopted style of organizational communication, do not apply, do not speak or … just leave.
This is an expensive mistake. It leads to increased rotation, loss of talents, a decrease in commitment and limitation of team creativity.
And all because of a few sentences, which no one had checked before in terms of reception.
Leaders in the so -called Double crush:-On the one hand they have employees with new problems, on the other, a management board requiring quick results-explains Katarzyna Ociepka-Miąsik. – If the leader does not treat an inclusive language as a strategic issue, the team will not find it important. Today it is not a matter of “fashion on Dei”, but a response to a changing demographic and a growing fight for talents.
Practical solutions supporting inclusive language in organizations
Audits of recruitment ads
Katarzyna Ociepka-Miąsik emphasizes that audits of recruitment ads are the key first step. They rely on meetings with representatives of various age groups, who look like real ads and ask questions about what discourages them from applying. Companies that implemented this recorded success in recruitment.
Rewriting messages and tailoring the language
Changing the language is one of the fastest tools for improving inclusiveness. Agnieszka Operhalska emphasizes that it is enough to start with minor corrections, for example, instead of the phrase “young, dynamic team” use the term “diverse team”, and instead of “candidate/candidate” simply “person”. This is not a cosmetics. This is the decision about who will feel invited.
Dagmara Szymczak and Katarzyna Ociepka-Miąsik also point out that Indicating a specific number of years of experience in the announcements may be discouraged by people with a greater internship. They suggest adding “or more” (e.g. “five years of experience or more”) or informing that the candidate “will just study”.
Similarly with the names of events. When the company organizes a Christmas meeting, It is worth avoiding cultural assumptions such as “company Christmas Eve”. For people of other denominations or non -believers, this may be a signal that they are not its addressees. Jacek Wasilewski also proposes to change the phrase “We invite you with the families“on “We invite you with accompanying persons”to cover a wider group of people who do not have a family in a classic understanding.
Multigeneration projects
Multigeneration projects are an effective tool for building cooperation and create the so -called “social glue”. In 2023, Bank BNP Paribas was awarded for the “Tandy generation tandy” project connecting people with a 20-year age difference as part of business projects. Katarzyna Ociepka-Miąsik, the program moderator, noticed that thanks to such projects people had a chance to get to know themselves in a way that would be unlikely in other circumstances. – The curiosity of the perspective of other people brings solutions. People learn through personal stories – emphasizes the expert.
Focus on needs instead of labels and assumptions
Experts emphasize that it is crucial focusing on the real needs of employees and candidatesnot on labels and stereotypical assumptions. Jacek Wasilewski points out that the inclusive language aims to enable and appreciate people and build a sense of community, equality and fair treatment. It is also important visual communication – Company websites should show age diversity, not just young people or board members.
Tools for language analysis They are increasingly helping companies and editorial offices in tracking unaware prejudices. The assistant operates in Ringer Axel SRPINGER POLSKA Equalvoicewhich automatically scans texts in terms of potential, unconscious, discrimination or stereotypes. He emphasizes phrases that may exclude and proposes alternative wording.
Such tools not only increase the language awareness of the authors, but also help maintain editorial coherence and transparency. Their use in HR or marketing can be the first step to change the language – even before the messages go to candidates, clients or employees.
It's not about correctness. It's about mindfulness
– The strength of the language is that he can set a man in a specific role before he says something yet – says Jacek Wasilewski. – But the same language can also invite, encourage, create space for the variety of thoughts and experiences.
Inclusive language does not mean speaking with specific formulas. This is not a list of “correct words”. This is a daily decision: do we want our team to be a place where every person can speak and be heard.
– Soon as much as 40 percent Societies in Poland will be the elderly. We have to prepare culturally and linguistically-says Katarzyna Ociepka-Miąsik. For business, these are new challenges but also a chance to get a new group of customers.
– Language is the first line of contact with man. Instead of looking for the perfect words, it is worth asking yourself: who do I have to rule out this sentence? – sums up Dagmara Szymczak. The most important question is “what words to use”, but “who we want to turn on, and who – perhaps unknowingly – we exclude”. Because inclusive language is not a fashion – it is a decision who we invite you to the table, and who we leave behind the door.
