Introduction
The degree of change that the planet has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the pace at which a lot of these changes have come about is no less striking.
One part of life which has not escaped these vast changes is the business world. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary arena 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 problem has been about for a long time, but as the needs 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 humans, particularly in first world countries, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As people work to a later point in their lives, they may remain 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 range 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 common problems that face a modern enterprise that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a vital piece of the business puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as capable as the people who work them.
There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging all of the time and key business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company. This can be said of sales as well as promotional channels that have emerged with the rise of the Internet.
Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, 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.
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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 often found in business are worth taking note of.
Traditionals
Mature, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate environment. They’re 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, lots 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.
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 modern company.
This generation grew up without much 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 traditional “nuclear family”.
When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will often 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 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 issues 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 presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various levels of management within a contemporary 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 early age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education prior to 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 professions.
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 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 group 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 ideas and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive marketing to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and contemporary technical equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly 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 organisation, issues involving technology might have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the technologies being used by a company is likely to find problems in many parts of the corporation.
A similar principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the organisation.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical aspects 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 consequently they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, however as a generalisation it is true.
Luckily, 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 knowledge and experience rather than physical ability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that proper support is given to any worker who struggles with the physical side of their job.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that businesses of the past would not have had to face. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more frequent since the widespread introduction and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk setting itself can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not good. 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 impairment. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern 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 more companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned several new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they are.
If there are particular roles within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to perform the task. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation when your workforce grows old.
There are a number of ways in which your business 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 helpful information that can be obtained from these occasions can be of great benefit to an organisation.
There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in greater detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every business has different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you discover the correct management approach for your organisation.
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 include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find that it is hard to work collectively. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a planet that has been constantly changing.
Each generation is also motivated 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 business does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it.
Modern organisations have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.