The Generation Gap in the Workplace
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 striking.
One area of life which 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 characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the modern world would seem foreign to businesses of the past.
An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their staff. This challenge has been about for a long time, but as the requirements of companies change and the skills required have evolved, the differences among workers have become more pronounced.
This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world nations, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since 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 need for a more diverse set of skills in the progressive business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a new way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most typical problems that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in each of our lives nowadays and they form a vital piece of the business puzzle.
There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are being created all of the time and important business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company.
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 fulfil a range of different wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy.
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The Generations
The need to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of.
Traditionals
Senior, 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 while this belief was nurtured under the shadow of an international conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.
Since many of the senior generation will hold senior ranks within a business their views and beliefs will generally carry greater 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. This difference between modern thinking and business control requires management.
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 contemporary business.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational group 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 advances in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working effectively 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 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 levels of management within a modern business.
Socially they grew up in very 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 young age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but may 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 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 group of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social environment where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
We are all 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 Internet is, the void between the old and the new is made 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 managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for marketing. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the technologies being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many areas of the business.
A similar principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the organisation. 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 as such 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.
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. It is nevertheless important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who battles with the physical side of their job.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more common since the widespread introduction 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 periods of sitting incorrectly, and long durations 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 modern workplace on the human body.
Far too frequently, business employees think desk chairs hardly impact their bodies in a negative way which is not always true.
Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working relationship between the business and its workers, 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 carry out the job. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management. 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 business can learn about managing different generations of employee. 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 occasions can be of special benefit to an organisation.
There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations. Every company has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you discover the correct management approach for your company.
If setting your own managers 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. Employing their services may be the most prudent way to address your own corporate circumstances.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been continually changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the language used for communication, but matters of manners and etiquette.
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 numerous generations but it is also important to 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 requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so frequently the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through informed and empathetic direction.
This entry was posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 4:38 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.