The Generation Gap 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 a lot of these changes have come about is no less impressive.

One part of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. 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 organisation trading in the contemporary arena would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.

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

This is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world nations, 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 merely sitting on the board.

There is also a demand for a more diverse set of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant 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 common challenges that face a modern business that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in each of our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle. This computing power can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as capable as the individuals who work them.

There are also generational problems when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and critical business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company. This can be said of sales and promotional channels that have emerged with the rise of the Internet.

Beyond this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, psychological 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.

It is commonplace for the younger age bracket to work next to industrial shelving items because they are suitable for physical labour.

The Generations

The need to manage generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worth taking note of. The generations of worker that may be found in today’s business can be separated into the following four groups:

Traditionals

Senior, or “traditional”, workers are the oldest that would be found in a modern business 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, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.

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

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 roughly speaking and are likely to form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary company.

This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was more normal 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 procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well in teams, although it is often observed that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at providing 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 presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various levels of management within a modern company.

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

Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting 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 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 organisation.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born since 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 concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive marketing to be second nature.

Older generations of employees may consider interior refurbishments pointless or disruptive towards the working environment of a business.

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 genuinely 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 newer business, issues involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from controlling payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for promotion. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies being used by a company is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the business. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the workplace.

The same principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still carry out many of the important functions of the organisation.

Physical limitations

There are clear physical aspects that may affect how a successful company manages its workers in regard to age. Elderly 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.

Fortunately, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any worker who struggles with the physical side of their role.

Modern ailments

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

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

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Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many more businesses have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport 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 use members of that generation to carry out the task. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control. 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 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 advice 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 matter 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 discover 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 gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find that it is hard to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been continually changing.

Each generation is also motivated 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 important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The business must do what is best for its own success.

Contemporary organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so frequently the case, the route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through informed and empathetic direction.