Managing Generations in the Workforce
Introduction
The extent of change that the world has experienced over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which a lot of these changes have come about is no less impressive.
One area of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it started, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the modern arena would seem foreign to businesses of the past.
An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce. This challenge has been about for a long time, but as the requirements of organisations change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.
This is partly 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 remain with the same organisation into their late 60′s or early 70′s, and often 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 wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a fresh way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most common challenges that face a modern enterprise that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle. This computing power can help businesses to run well, but they are only as able as the people who operate them.
There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are being created all of the time and critical business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company.
Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, 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 satisfied. In a warehouse setting it is vital to make use of good industrial shelving from an assured manufacturer to keep the workforce safe.
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The Generations
The requirement to manage generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in today’s business can be split into the following four groups:
Traditionals
Mature, or “traditional”, employees 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 individual sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of an international conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior ranks 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 sculpt 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, when there was a general decline 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 roles within a contemporary business.
This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are very family- oriented.
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 well in teams, although it is often observed that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other employees. These communication problems can become very disruptive in a corporate environment.
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 tiers of management within a contemporary company.
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 before working their way up within one or maybe two companies. They are expected to work long and hard hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.
As such, 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 study 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 collection 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 relatively competitive promotion 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 only just coping to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being genuinely 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 organisation, issues involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from controlling payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by a company is likely to find problems in many areas of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations in the workplace.
A similar principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still perform many of the important functions of the business. Internal business practices 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 influence 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 as such they will be less suited to roles that involve physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in lots of companies, but as a generalisation it is correct.
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 capability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that adequate support is given to any worker who battles with the physical aspect of their job.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more frequent 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 great. 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 damage. 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 received greater exposure over recent years and many more companies 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 relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they are.
If there are particular jobs 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 demands good organisational control.
There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing different generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful advice that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to your organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations.
If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find that it is hard to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing. There are not simply concerns when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but issues of manners as well as etiquette.
Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, 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 the different age groups working for it.
Contemporary businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so frequently the case, the path to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through educated and empathetic direction.