Managing Generations in the Workplace
Introduction
The extent of change that the planet has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which many of these changes have come about is no less striking.
One part of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the modern world would seem alien to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce.
This is partially due to the ever increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, 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 organisation into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and sometimes as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting on the board.
There is also a need for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the quick development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most common problems that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run well, but they are only as able as the individuals who operate them.
There are also generational problems when it comes to external business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate 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. This can be said of sales as well as promotional channels that have come forth with the rise of the World Wide Web.
Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, physical limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce content.
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The Generations
The requirement to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of.
Traditionals
Mature, or “traditional”, workers are the oldest that would be found in a modern business environment. They are 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 while this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of a global conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the senior generation will hold senior positions within a business their views and beliefs will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their decisions will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt the future success or failure of the business. This disparity between modern thinking and business influence requires direction.
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 decline in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and probably 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 previous generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented.
When it comes to the work environment, 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 processes. 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 giving feedback to other workers.
Generation X
Members of Generation X were born between the mid- 60’s and the late- 70’s. They will be currently aged between 30 and 45 and will be distributed amongst the various levels of management within a modern business.
Socially they grew up in extremely demanding 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 worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by monetary benefits rather than a sense of duty because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.
Generation NeXt
This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest collection of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social environment where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and modern technical equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly confused about what the Internet is, the void between the old and the new becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the newer business, issues involving technology can have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many parts of the business.
The same principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the business. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological skills and understanding.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical aspects that may influence how a successful company manages its workforce in regard to age. Elderly generations will by and large by physically inferior to their younger counterparts, and as such they will be less suited to roles that involve physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, however as a generalisation it’s true.
Fortunately, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical ability.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more frequent since the widespread launch and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk setting itself may create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not good. 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. Studies are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern workplace on the human body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many additional companies have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they are.
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 demands good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation as your workforce grows old.
There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing several generations of staff. 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 Internet that discuss the problem in greater detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations. Every company has different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you uncover the correct management method for your organisation.
If setting your own managers the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Employing their services may be the most prudent way to address your own business circumstances.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find that it is hard to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been constantly changing.
Each generation is also motivated by different things, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be used across numerous generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your business does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it.
Modern businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the route to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly - through educated and empathetic management.