Business Management for Multiple Generations of Employees

Introduction

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

One part of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful company trading in the contemporary 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 workforce. This problem has been around for a long time, but as the requirements of organisations change and the skills required have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.

This is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, 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 remain with the same company into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and sometimes as hands- on workers rather than simply 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 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 generation.

Problems

One of the most common challenges 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 our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle.

There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging all of the time and important 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 satisfy a range of different needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce content. In a warehouse environment it is critical to use high quality industrial shelving off of a quality maker to keep the workforce safe.

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The Generations

The need to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of worker that may be found in today’s business can be split into the following four groups:

Traditionals

Senior, or “traditional”, employees 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 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 beneath 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 ranks within a business 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 difference between modern thinking and business control requires direction.

Baby Boomers

The Baby Boomer generation includes those born between the end of the war and the mid- 60’s, when there was a general decline 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 roles within a modern company.

This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was more normal 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 frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture while 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 providing feedback to other workers. These communication problems can become very disruptive in a corporate environment.

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 company.

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 progressed through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two companies. They are expected to work long and hard hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.

As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but can 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 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 group of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social climate where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive marketing to be second nature.

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The Working Environment

Technology

Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly 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 newer business, problems involving technology can have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for promotion. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the business.

The same principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the organisation.

Physical limitations

There are obvious physical factors that may influence 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 consequently they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions.

Fortunately, 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 ability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who struggles with the physical aspect of their job.

Modern ailments

Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that businesses of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common since the widespread introduction and use of computer keyboards.

The desk environment 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 periods of sitting incorrectly, and long periods of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the contemporary place of work on the body.

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Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has received more exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned several 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 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 carry out the job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation as your workforce ages.

There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of practical information that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to an organisation.

There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the matter in greater detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations.

If setting your own managers the task of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.

Conclusion

Different generations of worker 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 things, and have come from different 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 the different age groups working for it.

Modern businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic direction.