Introduction
The degree of change that the world has seasoned 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. These changes have affected almost 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 area of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. Modern companies 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 alien to businesses of the past.
An interesting problem that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their workforce. This problem has been around for a long time, but as the requirements of companies change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences among workers have become more obvious.
This is partly due to the increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world countries, which in turn 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 often as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting at the board.
There is also a need for a more diverse set of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the quick development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working age group.
Problems
One of the most common challenges that face a modern business that is working with a number of different 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 business puzzle.
There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging all of the time and critical business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business.
Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied.
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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 commonly found in business are worth taking note of.
Traditionals
Mature, or “traditional”, employees 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 individual sacrifices for the greater good, and whilst this belief was nurtured beneath 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 opinions 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 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, 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 commonplace amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the parents of the classic “nuclear family”.
When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grasp 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 at ease when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other workers. These communication problems can become very disruptive in a business setting.
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 contemporary 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 worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or maybe two businesses.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving 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 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 since 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 seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas 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 elderly generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling 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, issues involving technology can 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 systems being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many areas of the corporation. This introduces the challenge of managing generations within the workplace.
A similar principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the business.
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 consequently they will be less suited to roles that involve physical exertions.
Fortunately, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these jobs reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical capability.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that businesses of the past would not have had to confront. 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 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 monitors can contribute to long- term eye damage. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary place of work on the human body.
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Solutions
The management of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many additional companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.
If there are particular roles within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only use 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 when your workforce ages.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing different generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful advice that can be obtained from these occasions can be of special benefit to an organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in greater 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 managers the task of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.
Each generation is also stimulated by different things, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be applied 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. The company must do what is optimum for its own good results.
Modern organisations 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 discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through informed and empathetic direction.
