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 many of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These changes have touched 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 world. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the traits of a successful organisation trading in the modern world would seem alien to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their staff.
This is partially due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world countries, 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 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 demand for a more diverse set of skills in the modern business surroundings, triggered largely due to the quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone significant changes which require a new way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working age group.
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 pivotal 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 operate them.
There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business.
Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of different needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy.
It is commonplace for the younger generation to operate with industrial shelving items since they are suited to physical labour.
The Generations
The requirement to handle generations in the work environment 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 are 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, many 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 beliefs 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.
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 approximately and are likely to form the vast majority of management roles within a contemporary company.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the parents of the classic “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 procedures. 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 constructive) , and they are not good at providing 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 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 pointed out to Generation X from a very early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or maybe two companies.
Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution affects 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 after 1980 and are the youngest collection 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.
The smooth day to day running of a company can often rely on uninteresting elements akin to storage bins which are overlooked way too frequently because they are mundane.
The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and modern technical equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping 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 is made very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern business, problems involving technology might have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many parts of the business. This introduces the challenge of managing generations in the workplace.
The same principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the important functions of the business. Internal business procedures are rarely black and white so employees ideally need a range of technological abilities and knowledge.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical factors 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 as such they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in lots of companies, but as a generalisation it’s 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 roles reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical capability.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical conditions that businesses 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 launch and use of 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 intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long periods 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 contemporary place of work on the human body.
Younger generations of workers are getting accustomed to trendy office furniture within contemporary organisations but older generations seem less bothered.
Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received more 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 workforce, no matter how old they may be.
If there are particular 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 job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control.
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 special benefit to your organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in greater detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various situations. Every business has different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you uncover the correct management approach for your company.
If setting your own managers the job of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable 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 together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been continually changing.
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 numerous generations but it is also important to 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 diverse 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 discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic direction.
Business In Bournemouth