Introduction
The degree of change that the planet 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. These shifts have touched almost every aspect of our lives beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the modern arena would seem alien to businesses of the past.
An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of individuals who make up their staff. This challenge has been around for a long time, but as the needs of companies change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.
This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world nations, 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 sometimes as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting at the board.
There is also a demand for a more diverse set of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a new way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working age group.
Problems
One of the most common problems that face a modern business that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in each of our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle.
There are also generational problems when it comes to external business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business. This can be said of sales as well as promotional channels that have emerged with the rise of the Internet.
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 fulfil a range of different wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied.
It is commonplace for the younger demographic to perform next to industrial shelving merchandise since they’re suitable for physical labour.
The Generations
The requirement 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 beneath 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 positions within a company their views and opinions will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and shape 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, when 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 probably form the vast majority of management roles within a modern company.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst previous 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 while still maintaining a grip on modern developments in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working effectively in teams, although it is often noted that they are not at ease 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 business 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 contemporary company.
Socially they grew up in very stressful 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 early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.
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 management to ensure their effective contribution to the company.
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 aggressive promotion to be second nature.
Within the modern business, managers in charge of buying storage bins inside of particular financial limitations must choose between functionality and form.
The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older generations and contemporary 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 is made very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern business, issues involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many parts of the corporation. This introduces the challenge of managing generations in the work environment.
A similar principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with new technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the important functions of the organisation. Internal business procedures are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological abilities and knowledge.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical factors 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 as such they will be less suited to roles that require 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 roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical ability.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses 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 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 particular workstation are not good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long periods of sitting incorrectly, and long periods of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern workplace on the human body.
Far too frequently, office employees believe desk chairs barely impact their bodies in a negative way which is not always true.
Solutions
The management of generations in the workplace has obtained more 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 improving the working rapport 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 use members of that generation to carry out the job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control.
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 information that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to an organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.
If setting your own managers the job of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been continually changing.
Each generation is also motivated by different things, 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 crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The business must do what is optimum for its own good results.
Contemporary organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so frequently the case, the route to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic management.
