Business Management for Multiple Generations of Employees

Introduction

The extent of change that the world has experienced over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the pace at which many of these changes have come about is no less striking. These shifts have affected almost every aspect of our existence beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our everyday lives.

One area of life that has not escaped these broad 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 traits of a successful company trading in the contemporary world would seem foreign to businesses of the past.

An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their workforce.

This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world countries, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since 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 sometimes as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting at the board.

There is also a demand 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. Business 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 typical challenges that face a modern business that is operating 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.

There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging 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 communication problems 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 happy.

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The Generations

The need to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worth taking note of.

Traditionals

Senior, or “traditional”, workers are the oldest that would be found in a modern business 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 industry and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, and whilst this belief was nurtured under the shadow of an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.

Since many of the senior generation will hold senior positions within a business 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 organisation. This disparity 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, 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 probably form the vast majority of management roles within a modern business.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are very family- oriented. They would be the parents of the traditional “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the work environment, 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 processes. 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 providing feedback to other employees.

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 distributed amongst the various levels of management within a modern 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 made clear to Generation X from a very young age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.

Therefore, 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 because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close supervision 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 environment where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive 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 contemporary technical 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 becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.

In regards to the modern business, problems involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from controlling payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many areas of the business. This presents the challenge of managing generations in the work environment.

A similar principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the organisation.

Physical limitations

There are clear physical aspects that may influence 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 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 worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these jobs reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability. It is however important to make sure that adequate support is given to any worker who struggles with the physical aspect of their role.

Modern ailments

Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much 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 great. 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 damage. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the body.

The quantity of workplace accidents involving office furniture rises gradually when longer is spent by employees at work.

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 several new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.

If there are particular 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 perform the job. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational control. 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 several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful information that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to an organisation.

There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the matter 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 find the correct management approach for your company.

If setting your own managers the job of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now incorporate 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 different times and learnt about a planet that has been constantly changing. There are not simply concerns when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but issues of manners and etiquette.

Each generation is also stimulated by different things, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be applied 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.

Modern organisations have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly - through educated and empathetic management.