My company recently held HR training for managers where the instructor said:

• Do not require dates of employment on applications
• Do not note or refer to dates on someone’s resume or application

All this because considering age when hiring is, in most cases, both wrong and illegal.

• If I list three jobs, each of which I worked four years, am I over 40?
• Same jobs with dates. I began the first job in 1992, am I over 40?

I thought I’d ask LinkedIn why they require the display of dates.

This is their reply…

From: LinkedIn Customer Service
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007
To: Ken H. Judy
Subject: Re: dates worked in experience profile

Hi Ken,

While we can understand your position along with your companies HR training basically providing the length of employment or the dates you began with a company (start date) and the date you left the company (end date) would pretty much be the same. If I started with LinkedIn March 01, 2007 and I left them April 1, 2007 that would mean I was one month old? I don’t believe this would really have much to do with a person’s age. When entering employment dates on a resume you don’t enter your date of birth neither should you do that on your CV. Please let me know if this addresses your concern as I am not sure I understand how entering your employment dates is age based discrimination.

Thanks

I’m comforted that you “understand my position”. Thanks LinkedIn Privacy Lead!

I realize experts recommend listing dates and only using the most recent 10-15 years of experience. Still, what I reveal about myself is fundamentally my decision not the administrators of a social network.

Oh, and thanks for clearing up that thing about the one month olds. I was confused about that one…