Age isn’t a KPI – The Age Forward Lab, April 24 in Berlin.
The job market is changing. Careers are no longer linear, working lives are getting longer, and transitions have become a normal part of professional life. And yet many decisions still follow a surprisingly simple logic: age. That’s why the Age Forward Lab on April 24 takes a closer look at the system of work and the patterns that shape decisions within it.
The job market is a system.
When people talk about the job market, the focus often falls on individual parts of the system. On applicants, on HR departments, or on companies. Each of these perspectives follows its own logic, its own routines, and its own expectations.
In reality, work emerges from the interaction between these roles. And it’s within that interaction that decisions are made about how opportunities arise, how careers unfold, and whether — and how — potential becomes visible.
At the next Age Forward Lab in Berlin, we’ll take a closer look at these dynamics. Not from a single perspective, but with the entire system of work in view.
The system of work
Work emerges through the interaction of different roles. Within this system, decisions are made about how opportunities arise, how careers unfold, and whether — and how — potential becomes visible.
The people doing the work
People in employment, as well as those looking for work, often experience that age plays a role in certain situations. Younger people are seen as inexperienced. Older people as too expensive, too specialized, or not flexible enough. Résumés are judged before real capabilities have a chance to become visible.
Experiences like these shape how people move through the job market. At the same time, age narratives don’t only come from the outside. Over the course of their careers, many people internalize ideas about what is possible or appropriate at a certain stage of life.
Age is not only judged. It also shapes expectations.
The intermediaries
Recruiters, HR leaders, and headhunters operate between organizations and candidates. They translate requirements, compare profiles, and structure selection processes. In many cases, they also decide early on which résumés move forward and which do not.
Many of these processes rely on categories and expectations that are also shaped by age narratives. Terms like “young talent” or “senior profile” are typical examples. These labels may seem natural, but they often carry implicit assumptions about capabilities or potential for development.
The decision-makers
Leaders and organizations ultimately make the final decisions. They define requirements, shape career paths, and determine who is seen as having the potential to grow.
These decisions shape, over time, how diverse teams really are and which kinds of experience organizations actually make use of.
What happens in this Lab
The Age Forward Lab makes these dynamics within the system of work visible.
— Different impulses open up new perspectives on age narratives in the job market.
— Discussions explore which routines, expectations, and decision logics shape the different perspectives.
— And in the workshop that follows, these perspectives are brought together.
The Lab is facilitated by Robert Eysoldt, founder of Age Bombs. He adds impulses, connects perspectives, and guides the process throughout the day.
The workshop
Participants work together in a facilitated workshop to make the challenges of the different roles visible and to rethink how the system of work functions as a whole.
The goal is to develop concrete starting points for each of these roles, and for how they interact, in order to explore how experience, potential, and collaboration across different stages of life can be used more effectively.
At the end of the day, this will lead to a shared action paper. It brings together the key insights from the Lab and formulates impulses for organizations and for people who actively shape the system of work.
How the day is structured
The Age Forward Lab starts around 10:00 a.m. and concludes with a shared dinner. Temporary participation is not possible, as the Lab is designed as a continuous process. The program will be held in German.
What to expect
— Exclusive setting with a maximum of 25 participants.
— Impulses from different perspectives.
— In-depth discussions and collaborative work.
— Space for your own questions, ideas, and insights.
— Full-day catering and a shared lunch buffet.
— Optional social media content around the Lab for LinkedIn and other channels.
Who should attend?
This edition of the Age Forward Lab brings together people who are part of the system of work: people from organizations, from the world of recruitment and placement, and from the perspective of those doing the work themselves. People who want to understand how age patterns emerge, how they influence decisions, and what can be changed.
Your investment
Participation costs 180 euros net and includes the services listed above.
In return, you get access to a full day of exchange, new perspectives, and meaningful encounters, set within a carefully curated environment designed for depth and personal relevance.
How to join
The Lab is a curated space. If you’d like to take part, please send an email to hello@agebombs.com and briefly share why you’d like to join and what perspective you would bring.
Outlook
The Age Forward Lab “Age Isn’t a KPI” will also take place in Hamburg and Munich soon. As soon as the dates are confirmed, they will be announced here.
You can find more information about the Age Forward Lab here.
Do you have questions about the Lab?
If you have questions about the Lab, or if you’d like to explore bringing the Age Forward Lab to your region, you can book a video call with Robert Eysoldt here.
Schedule a no-obligation video call now!
