When dealing with internal promotion policies involving age, communication needs to be extremely cautious, not only to respect the feelings of employees, but also to ensure compliance with laws and ethics. The following are step-by-step suggestions： --- ###**The first step: Verify policy compliance in advance** -**Legal compliance**: Ensure that the company's age restriction policy complies with local labor laws (for example, many countries prohibit discrimination based on age). If the policy has legal risks, it is recommended to give priority to adjusting the promotion criteria (such as emphasizing age-independent factors such as skills and adaptability). -**Clear criteria**: If age is one of the comprehensive assessments (not the only criteria), other considerations (such as innovation ability, technological renewal ability, etc.) need to be clearly stated. --- ###**Step 2: Communication framework and core principles** -**Core principles**： -**Respect and gratitude**: Emphasize the contribution and value of older employees. -**Objective explanation**: Avoid direct attribution to age, but associate policies with the company's strategic goals. -**Provide support**: Plan alternative development paths for affected employees. --- ###**Step 3: Specific communication skills suggestions** 1. **Opening to express gratitude** *"First of all, I would like to thank you for your continued contribution to the company. Your experience and expertise in [specific projects/fields] have always been an important support for the team. ”* 2. **Explain the policy background and weaken the age label** *"The company is currently in a stage of rapid change. In order to adapt to the trend of youthful market, we are focusing on cultivating a group of talents who can promote the implementation of new strategies for a long time. The evaluation criteria for this promotion focus more on [specific abilities, such as digital skills, cross-departmental collaboration, etc.], not just qualifications. ”* 3. **Avoid direct mention of age and emphasize "future potential”** *"Although there is no doubt about your ability, this selection pays more attention to the matching of candidates with the company's long-term strategy in the next 5-10 years. We hope to provide more experience opportunities for the young backbone and reserve leadership for the future. ”* 4. **Provide alternatives to relieve negative emotions** -**Internal mentor role**: Invite older employees to serve as mentors for young talents to affirm their experience value. -**Special project opportunities**: Allocate important projects that require experience precipitation to continue to play a role. -**Tilt of training resources**: Provide skills renewal training to help them break through vocational bottlenecks. * "We very much hope that you can participate in the training of new managers as a mentor. At the same time, the company will also provide you with [specific resources] to support your career development. ”* 5. **Maintain open communication channels** *"If you have other ideas for personal development, we are always willing to listen and discuss a path that suits you. ”* --- ###**Step 4: Precautions** -**One-on-one communication**: Avoid public discussions and choose a private environment for individual interviews to show respect. -**Avoid comparison and discriminatory language**: Do not mention sensitive expressions such as “old age” and “insufficient energy”, but focus on strategic needs. -**Prepare in advance to deal with emotional reactions**: If employees question fairness, they can respond： *"The company fully recognizes your achievements, but different stages of the strategy require different levels of team configuration. Your experience is still indispensable, and we look forward to exploring new cooperation models with you. ”* --- ###**Alternative: Adjust the policy expression** If there is a risk of dispute in the company's policy, it is recommended to transform “age” into a more neutral standard, such as： -Give priority to the promotion of "potential employees within 5 years of entry” (use company age instead of age)； -Emphasize specific competency requirements such as ”rapid learning ability of new technologies“ and ”experience in innovative projects". --- Through the above methods, it can not only convey the rationality of the company's decision-making, but also maintain the dignity of employees, reduce the risk of conflict, and retain the value of core talents for the team.