Introduction
The extent of change that the world has experienced 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.
One area of life which has not escaped these broad 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 modern world would seem alien to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their staff. This problem has been around for a long time, but as the needs of organisations 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. Since 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 merely sitting on 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 extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a new way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.
Problems
One of the most common problems that face a modern business that is operating with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in each of our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle.
There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and key business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company.
Beyond this, there can be communication problems 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 satisfied.
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The Generations
The requirement to manage generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of worker that may be found in today’s business can be separated into the following four groups:
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 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 beneath the shadow of an international conflict, many 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 beliefs will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements 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 down turn 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 jobs within a contemporary company.
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 highly family- oriented.
When it comes to the workplace, 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 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.
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 spread amongst the various levels of management within a modern business.
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 early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses. They are expected to work long and challenging 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 affects the big picture. They will be motivated by financial 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 since 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 seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive 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 modern 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 newer organisation, problems involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the workplace.
A similar principle can also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might 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 organisation.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical aspects 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 as such they will be less suited to roles that involve physical exertions.
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.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical conditions that companies of the past would not have had to confront. 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 may 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 durations of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary place of work on the human body.
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Solutions
The management 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 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 roles 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 task. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful advice that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations. Every business has different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you find the correct management approach for your company.
If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice. Utilising their services may be the most prudent method to address your corporate circumstances.
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 world that has been continually 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 important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it.
Modern businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied 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- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic direction.