Managing Generations in the Workplace

Introduction

The degree of change that the world has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the pace at which many of these changes have come about is no less striking. These shifts have affected almost every aspect of our existence beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our everyday lives.

One area of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary world would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.

An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of individuals who make up their staff.

This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world countries, which in turn prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As people work to a later point in their lives, they may remain with the same company into their late 60′s or early 70′s, and sometimes as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting at the board.

There is also a need for a more diverse set of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone significant changes which require a new way of thinking.

Problems

One of the most typical problems that face a modern enterprise that is working with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in each of our lives these days and they form a vital piece of the business puzzle. This computing power can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as capable as the individuals who operate them.

There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their company.

Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, psychological limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied.

Many businesses find that they have a need for racking products across numerous departments of their organisation.

The Generations

The requirement to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worth taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in a modern business can be separated into the following four groups:

Traditionals

Mature, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate environment. They’re the people who were born before the Second World War, and will be in their late 60′s or early 70′s.

Their approach to business and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, and whilst this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.

Since many of the mature generation will hold senior ranks within a company their views and beliefs will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and shape the future success or failure of the business.

Baby Boomers

The Baby Boomer generation includes those born between the end of the war and the mid- 60′s, while there was a general down turn in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and are likely to form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary business.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented.

When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will often be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grip on modern developments in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well in teams, although it is often noted that they are not at ease when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other employees.

Generation X

Members of Generation X were born between the mid- 60′s and the late- 70′s. They will be presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be distributed amongst the various levels of management within a modern company.

Socially they grew up in very stressful times. Careers were an ever more important and defining part of people’s lives and this was made clear to Generation X from a very early age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or maybe two companies. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.

As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by financial benefits rather than a sense of duty since they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close management to ensure their efficient contribution to the organisation.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born after 1980 and are the youngest group of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social environment where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.

Modern materials and manufacturing processes offer a greater selection of shaped and decorated storage bins at affordable prices therefore are a popular choice facing storage space.

The Working Environment

Technology

Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly confused about what the world wide web is, the void between the old and the new becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.

In regards to the modern organisation, problems involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the work environment.

The same principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still perform many of the important functions of the organisation. Internal business procedures are rarely black and white so employees ideally need a range of technological skills and understanding.

Physical limitations

There are clear physical factors that may affect how a successful company manages its workers in regard to age. Older generations will by and large by physically inferior to their younger counterparts, and consequently they will be less suited to roles that involve physical exertions.

Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these jobs reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical ability.

Modern ailments

Modern businesses are faced with physical conditions that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more frequent since the widespread introduction and use of personal computer keyboards.

The desk setting itself may create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any specific workstation are not great. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long durations of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye damage. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern workplace on the body.

A modern office setting may have some desk chairs plus briefcases scattered dangerously around the walkways between working spaces.

Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has obtained more exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.

If there are specific jobs within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to carry out the job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational management.

There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing several generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of helpful information that can be obtained from these occasions can be of great benefit to your organisation.

There are also a lot of resources available on the web that discuss the problem in greater detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every company has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you find the correct management approach for your company.

If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been continually changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but matters of manners as well as etiquette.

Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be used across a multitude of generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it.

Modern organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.