Introduction
The degree of change that the world 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. These shifts have affected almost every aspect of our existence 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 companies may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it started, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the modern world would seem alien to businesses of the past.
An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to handle the different generations of individuals who make up their staff. This challenge has been about for a long time, but as the requirements of organisations change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.
This is partly due to the ever 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 remain with the same company into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and often 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 modern business climate, triggered largely due to the quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.
Problems
One of the most typical 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 each of our lives these days and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle.
There are also generational problems when it comes to external business factors such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging all of the time and important business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business.
Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of worker, physical limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce content.
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The Generations
The need to handle generations in the workplace 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”, 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 individual sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of a global 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 greater 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 disparity between modern thinking and business control 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 decline in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and probably form the vast majority of management roles within a contemporary business.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are very 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 frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grasp 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 at ease when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other workers.
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 extremely 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 young age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or maybe two businesses.
Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting 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 because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning 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 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 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 only just coping 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 becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the newer organisation, 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 promotion. 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 business.
A similar principle can also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the business. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological skills and understanding.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical factors that may affect 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.
Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these jobs reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical ability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who battles 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 confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common since the widespread launch and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk environment 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 impairment. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace 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 effective 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 workers, no matter how old they may be.
If there are specific jobs within your business that are best suited to 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.
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 helpful information that can be obtained from these occasions can be of great benefit to your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.
If setting your own administrators the task of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find that it is hard to work together. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.
Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be used across numerous generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it. The business must do what is best for its own success.
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 finding a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through informed and empathetic direction.
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