Managing Different 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 impressive. These shifts have affected nearly every aspect of our lives beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business 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 issue that modern businesses face is how to handle the different generations of individuals who make up their staff. This problem has been around for a long time, but as the needs of organisations change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences among workers have become more pronounced.
This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, 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 organisation into their late 60′s or early 70′s, and often as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting at the board.
There is also a demand 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 been subject to significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most typical problems 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 these days and they form a vital piece of the business puzzle.
There are also generational problems when it comes to external business factors such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and important business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their business.
Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of worker, physical limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of different wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy. In a warehouse environment it is vital to use high quality industrial shelving by an assured manufacturer to keep the workforce safe.
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The Generations
The need to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in a modern business can be split into the following four groups:
Traditionals
Mature, or “traditional”, workers are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate 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 an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the senior 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 shape the future success or failure of the business. This difference between modern thinking and business control 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 roughly speaking and are likely to form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary company.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the mother and father of the classic “nuclear family”.
When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will frequently 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 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 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 spread amongst the various tiers of management within a modern business.
Socially they grew up in extremely 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 businesses. They are expected to work long and hard hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have jobs.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution influences 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 learning and work. Generation X need close management to ensure their effective 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 rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive promotion to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is 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 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 modern organisation, problems involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel 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 parts of the corporation. This introduces the challenge of managing generations within the workplace.
A similar principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the important functions of the organisation.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical factors 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 involve physical exertions.
Luckily, 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 knowledge and experience rather than physical ability.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical problems that businesses of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common since the widespread launch and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk environment itself can 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 durations of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the human body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many more businesses have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.
If there are specific roles within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to perform the job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation as your workforce ages.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing different generations of employee. 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 special 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 unique ideas for tackling various situations. Every business has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you discover the correct management method for your company.
If setting your own administrators 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. Utilising their services could be the most prudent method to address your business circumstances.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.
Each generation is also stimulated by different things, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be used across a multitude of generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your business does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it.
Contemporary 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 path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic management.
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 5:00 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.