Introduction
It's widely known that Millennials and Gen Z dominate the IT industry, but have you ever considered what it's like for a middle-aged person to work in IT? Especially those who spent their careers in other fields and joined IT after 50. What drives such a significant career change?
At Mobile Reality, we recognize the importance of age diversity in the workplace. We understand the challenges of the recruitment process and adapting to a new environment with flexible working but strive to ensure everyone feels welcome. We believe that, despite age differences and work styles, middle-aged employees bring valuable experience, inclusive culture, and different perspectives that younger colleagues may not yet have. Of course, their success and opportunities also depend on their willingness to overcome challenges, communicate effectively, and integrate into the team, all while recognizing their value to the company. As part of our commitment to understanding diverse perspectives, we are interviewing Ewa Sadowska to gain insights into her experience working in a diverse environment and to better understand her perspective on this important aspect of modern workplaces.
Who is she?
At Mobile Reality, this person is second only to the owners in importance. Why? Because she brings extensive professional experience, shares her knowledge, consistently boosts our team's morale, and has an impact on age vulnerability. For almost a year, she’s been handling payroll and employee communication. If your salary always arrives on time—thank Ewa.
We know you'll want to learn more about Ewa, her focus on diversity, and her story, so we interviewed her briefly. Discover how she joined us and what she enjoys about working within a generational workplace. Ready? Let’s dive in.
Ewa, how did it happen that you joined Mobile Reality?
I had a stable job and a senior position, so I never imagined changing my career so drastically, especially so close to retirement. However, I started feeling burnt out and realized that much of my work was beyond my control, which sparked a desire for change. One day, my son Mateusz suggested I bring my skills to the growing Mobile Reality. Although I didn’t accept immediately, the idea stayed with me, and a few months later, I decided to make the switch. I'm grateful that employers and managers at Mobile Reality are committed to combating ageism and age discrimination and are open to hiring potential candidates at different stages of their careers. Now, I've been with Mobile Reality for almost a year. The beginning with this inclusive team was challenging, involving a lot of learning and humility, but it was worth it.
What did you do before joining Mobile Reality?
My entire professional life has been in education. I started as a teacher and eventually became the director of a school in Lublin. Working with students of all ages, from young children to teenagers, was a true mission for me. I aimed to instill not just academic knowledge but also a love for learning and curiosity about the world. Throughout my career, I worked within a generational workforce, interacting with people of different ages, genders, and backgrounds. I had the privilege of learning from mentors who guided me, while also mentoring others. These experiences taught me valuable skills like effective communication, building trust, solving problems, and supporting others during difficult times. I also learned to navigate references to age and gender dynamics in various professional interactions. My time in education instilled in me humility, a constant desire to learn, and the ability to work under pressure. I'm proud to have created an innovative learning environment and to have had so many meaningful experiences along the way.
What are the differences between your previous workplace and the present one?
When I worked at school, my day began with a 30-minute commute, followed by greeting staff, handling urgent matters from parents, and managing documentation, meetings, and various responsibilities. It was often stressful and demanding.
At Mobile Reality, my commute is just a short walk to my computer. I start my day with coffee and a 10:00 am meeting, then focus on tasks like payroll, compliance, and team collaboration. The organization supports a stress-free environment, allowing me to develop without age biases. Although the first months were challenging as I learned new skills, the patience and support from a diverse pool of colleagues made it worthwhile.
What things and daily duties do you enjoy and what are the difficulties? What is the challenge for you?
Pleasure and difficulty at work are related feelings. It’s a pleasure to overcome difficulties and learn new skills because it brings satisfaction and the feeling that you are needed. If I need to mention the difficulties and pleasures of my daily work, I would like to point out a few:
I think that remote work requires a lot of self-discipline, which I also learned and it has to do not only with deadlines but also with separating the workspace and work time from my family life and being well-groomed when starting the working day (not spending the whole day in pajama).
Working with several apps at the same time that I had never worked with before was difficult for me. Now I feel more and more confident working with or because I got to know these tools better, and I also know that they make my work easier.
Working with tasks - for a long time I didn't see the point of writing everything down in the tasks until I started analyzing my effectiveness reports. Now I know how to work with tasks, how important it is to mark tasks as „done” and how helpful it is in organizing my work.
My greatest pleasure is working with people, and building healthy and proper relationships. It isn’t difficult for me as I have been doing it all my professional life.
Another pleasant thing for me is the knowledge of payroll, and the ability to provide legal regulations - I learned this in my previous job, and now it makes my daily duties much easier.
What do you value most about Mobile Reality? What are you proud of?
I’m most proud of my sons, whose courage and ideas for life and the company are a real inspiration to me. I also appreciate how people at Mobile Reality, across all generational groups, are fully committed to the company. They are open to conversation, and exchanging knowledge and skills, and they value friendly relationships. It's refreshing to work in a culture that prioritizes diversity and inclusion, recognizing age as part of the diverse strengths we all bring to the table.
What are the benefits of age diversity in working with Millennials and Gen Z?
I feel very good working with young people. I think we can learn a lot from each other. Furthermore, I gain a lot of knowledge from different generations, especially younger colleagues, for example:
News in the IT industry, apps, technology, social media, and how to use them to make your life easier. Conversations with young workers inspire me to learn and read, for example, about crypto all the time. I’m also impressed by the ways we can now express appreciation in the workplace, like using NFT Reality Kudos, which allows us to recognize and reward each other’s contributions through platforms like Slack. It’s a modern and creative way to build a positive work environment.
Additionally, I’m constantly learning to speak more fluently about tech innovations, including improving my communication in English.
Referring to English classes, online lessons are a new experience for me from the perspective of being only a student, which for younger colleagues is a natural working and learning environment.
Enthusiasm for physical activity. I hope that the new challenge allows me to be more active. I also learn from my younger colleagues about healthy eating - I try to have more vegetables in my daily diet.
What would you like to teach a diverse workforce, especially 20-year-olds?
Appreciate every moment and enjoy it. The people we meet, whether lifelong friends or brief encounters, can inspire us in unexpected ways. Don’t be afraid to learn from others and let their stories shape your journey. A few words of wisdom from others have stayed with me and had a lasting impact on my life.
Also, never stop learning. Explore the world, acquire new skills, and diversify your abilities—whether it's excelling in your profession, caring for plants, or cooking a simple meal. These seemingly small things can greatly enrich your life.
What do you think the future of Mobile Reality will be like?
Are you asking me as a mother who wishes her sons to be the best in the IT industry? Yes, I wish them that. I wish for Mobile Reality to be the best company in its category, continuing to specialize in its services and creating a life-changing app that every Mobile Reality employee can co-create.
I know that Mateusz and Marcin have clear goals. They are building a company where respect for employees is paramount, and where generational diversity is embraced. They focus on openness, productivity, listening, and dialogue, bridging generational divides to ensure a workplace built on reliability, honesty, and care for everyone’s well-being. I hope they continue in this direction, achieving great success with the whole team. And by the way, as owners, they should find more time to rest.
Conclusion
Ewa's story at Mobile Reality showcases the vital role age diversity plays in a workplace, especially in the youth-driven tech industry. Her transition from a long career in education to a key role in IT after 50 underscores the value of embracing change and fostering intergenerational collaboration, while also highlighting the importance of combating age discrimination. Middle-aged employees bring not only experience and stability but also enrich company culture with fresh perspectives, thanks to an inclusive hiring process.
Mobile Reality's commitment to integrating different age groups creates a thriving environment where all employees, regardless of age, contribute meaningfully. By embracing age diversity, the company sets a powerful example, proving that with the right support, professionals at any stage of their career can significantly impact the tech industry.
So, if you're passionate about working with diverse teams, including Baby Boomers, and contributing to a dynamic, inclusive environment, we encourage you to join us at Mobile Reality.
Insights from HR and EB in the IT industry
Are you curious about the unique challenges and innovative solutions in HR and employer branding within the IT industry? At Mobile Reality, we're excited to share with you a wealth of insights from our experiences. Discover the problems we face, the strategies that drive us, and the creative ideas we implement in our HR and employer branding initiatives. Dive into our collection of related articles featured on our blog – a treasure trove of knowledge awaits you:
Enjoy exploring these insights. Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us. If you're interested in joining our dynamic team, explore the opportunities in our career section and submit your CV. We look forward to hearing from you!
