Managing Different Generations in the Workplace

Introduction

The extent of change that the world 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 impressive. These shifts have touched nearly every aspect of our existence beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our day to day lives.

One part of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it started, but many of the characteristics of a successful company trading in the contemporary world would seem foreign to businesses of the past.

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

This is partly due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world countries, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay 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 demand for a more diverse range of skills in the modern business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a new way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.

Problems

One of the most typical challenges that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a vital piece of the business puzzle.

There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging 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 and promotional channels that have come forth with the rise of the Web.

Beyond this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of different wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse setting it is crucial to utilise good industrial shelving off of a quality maker to keep the workforce safe.

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The Generations

The need to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worth taking note of.

Traditionals

Senior, 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 industry 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 under the shadow of a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.

Since many of the mature generation will hold senior positions within a business 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. This difference 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, when 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 modern company.

This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are very family- oriented. They would be the mother and father of the traditional “nuclear family”.

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 effectively in teams, although it is often noted that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , 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 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 very 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 progressed through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or maybe two companies.

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 monetary benefits rather than a sense of duty since they feel they have paid their dues through a life of study and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their effective 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 climate where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive promotion to be second nature.

The smooth day to day running of a company can often rely on boring factors such as storage bins which might be overlooked way too frequently because they are mundane.

The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the older generations and contemporary technical equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping 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 is made very apparent when it comes to technology.

In regards to the modern organisation, problems involving technology might have very far reaching implications. 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 technologies being used by a company is likely to find problems in many areas of the corporation.

The same principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the important functions of the business. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological abilities and knowledge.

Physical limitations

There are clear physical aspects that may influence how a successful company manages its workforce 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 require physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in lots of companies, however as a generalisation it is correct.

Fortunately, 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 knowledge and experience rather than physical ability.

Modern ailments

Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more frequent since the widespread launch and use of personal computer keyboards.

The desk environment 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 periods of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Studies are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the contemporary place of work on the human body.

As a solution to back pain and other office connected psychological conditions, an ergonomic office chair serves many employees nicely and is a popular choice for modern businesses.

Solutions

The management of generations in the workplace has received more exposure over recent years and many more companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.

If there are particular roles 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 task. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control.

There are a number of ways in which your company 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 web that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations. Every business has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you uncover the correct management approach for your company.

If setting your own administrators the task of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice.

Conclusion

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

Each generation is also motivated by different things, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be applied across numerous generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The business must do what is optimum for its own success.

Modern businesses have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so often the case, the route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic direction.