Introduction
The degree of change that the planet has seasoned 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 changes have touched almost every aspect of our existence beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our everyday lives.
One area of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business world. Modern businesses 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 businesses face is how to handle the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce. This challenge has been about for a long time, but as the needs of companies change and the skills required 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 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 organisation 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 need for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working age group.
Problems
One of the most common challenges that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run well, but they are only as capable as the people who work them.
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 important business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company.
Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, physical limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of different needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce content. In a warehouse setting it is vital to make use of really good industrial shelving from an assured manufacturer to keep the workforce secure.
Many businesses find that they possess a demand for racking products over numerous departments of their business.
The Generations
The requirement to manage generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are often 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, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
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 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, while there was a general decline in the birth rate around the globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and are likely to 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 previous generations. They are an aspirational collection 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 often be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grip on modern advances 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 comfortable 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 spread amongst the various tiers of management within a contemporary 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 pointed out 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 perhaps two businesses.
As such, 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 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 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 rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.
Older generations of workers could consider interior refurbishments unnecessary plus bothersome to the working environment of a business.
The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older generations and modern technical 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 becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the newer business, problems 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 channel for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies 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 workplace.
The same principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may 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 organisation.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical aspects that may affect how a successful company manages its workforce in regard to age. Older 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. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, but as a generalisation it is true.
Luckily, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these jobs reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical capability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that adequate 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 confront. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common 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 specific workstation are not great. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long periods of sitting incorrectly, and long durations of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye damage. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern workplace on the human body.
As a solution to back pain and other office related physical complaints, an ergonomic office chair serves many workers nicely and is a popular choice for modern businesses.
Solutions
The management of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many additional 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 improving the working rapport between the business and its workers, no matter how old they may be.
If there are specific roles within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only use members of that generation to perform the task. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational control. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation as your workforce grows old.
There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing different generations of employee. 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 a lot of resources available on the web that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every company has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you uncover the correct management approach for your organisation.
If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Employing their services could be the most recommended method to address your corporate situation.
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 matters of manners and etiquette.
Each generation is also motivated by different factors, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be true 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 encouraging accordingly – through educated and empathetic management.