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Introduction

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

One area of life which 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 characteristics of a successful company trading in the contemporary world would seem alien to businesses from years gone by.

An interesting problem that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their staff. This problem has been around for a long time, but as the needs of organisations change and the skills necessary 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 countries, which in turn prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay with the same organisation 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 need for a more diverse set of skills in the modern business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking.

Problems

One of the most common problems that face a modern business that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers 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 being created all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their company.

Beyond this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, psychological 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.

It is unfortunate to hear of workplace incidents but pallet racking accidents in factories aren’t a very common complaint.

The Generations

The requirement to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worth taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in a modern business can be separated into the following four groups:

Traditionals

Senior, or “traditional”, workers 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 while this belief was nurtured under the shadow of a global conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.

Since many of the mature 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 shape the future success or failure of the organisation. This disparity between modern thinking and business influence 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 down turn in the birth rate around the globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary company.

This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are very family- oriented.

When it comes to the workplace, 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 procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well 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 setting.

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 tiers of management within a modern business.

Socially they grew up in very demanding 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 prior to working their way up within one or maybe two businesses. They are expected to work long and hard hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.

Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution influences the big picture. They will be motivated by financial benefits rather than a sense of duty since 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 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 concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.

There is no limit to the quantity of storage tasks storage bins could do in any office setting.

The Working Environment

Technology

Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older 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 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, problems involving technology can have very far reaching implications. 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 a company is likely to find problems in many areas of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations in the work environment.

The same principle can 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 important functions of the business. Internal business procedures are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological abilities and understanding.

Physical limitations

There are clear physical factors that may influence how a successful company manages its workers in regard to age. Older 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 true.

Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical ability. It is however important to make sure that adequate support is given to any worker who battles with the physical aspect of their job.

Modern ailments

Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more frequent since the widespread launch 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 periods of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye damage. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the human body.

Far too frequently, business workers think desk chairs barely impact their health 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 companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and practices 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 specific jobs within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only use 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 ages.

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 advice that can be obtained from these occasions can be of special benefit to your 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 different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you discover the correct management method for your organisation.

If setting your own administrators the task of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants that now incorporate 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 distinct times and learnt about a world that has been continually changing. There are not simply concerns when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but issues of manners as well as etiquette.

Each generation is also stimulated by different things, and have come from various 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 business does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it. The company must do what is optimum for its own good results.

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 route to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through informed and empathetic direction.