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. These changes have touched nearly every aspect of our lives beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful company trading in the modern arena would seem alien to businesses of the past.
An interesting issue that modern companies 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 companies change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.
This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world countries, which consequently 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 sometimes 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 swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a new way of thinking. These new 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 different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle.
There are also generational problems 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 important business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company. This can be said of sales as well as promotional channels that have come forth with the rise of the World Wide Web.
Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of different needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy.
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The Generations
The need to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the distinctions 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 corporate 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 personal 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 in modern times.
Since many of the senior generation will hold senior positions within a company their views and beliefs will generally carry more 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 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 decline in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and are likely to form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary business.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly 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 whilst still maintaining a grip 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 constructive) , and they are not good at giving 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 currently aged between 30 and 45 and will be distributed amongst the various levels of management within a contemporary 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 young age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting 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 since they feel they have paid their dues through a life of study 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 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 processes and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive marketing to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
We are all 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 genuinely confused about what the Internet is, the void between the old and the new becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern business, issues involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from controlling payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for marketing. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the corporation.
The same principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might 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 organisation.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical aspects that may influence 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 involve physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, but as a generalisation it is true.
Fortunately, most of the older generations of worker 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 employee who battles with the physical side of their job.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that businesses of the past would not have had to face. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more frequent since the widespread launch and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk environment itself may create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any specific workstation are not good. 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 impairment. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work 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 more companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they are.
If there are particular 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 perform the job. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation when your workforce grows old.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several generations of employee. 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 events can be of special benefit to an organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the web that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every company has different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you find the correct management method for your organisation.
If setting your own managers the task of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Employing their services may be the most recommended way to address your own corporate situation.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a world that has been continually changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but issues of manners as well as etiquette.
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 business does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The business must do what is best for its own success.
Contemporary organisations 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 discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.