Introduction
The degree of change that the planet has experienced 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 striking.
One area of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. Modern companies may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it started, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the modern arena would seem foreign to businesses of the past.
An interesting problem that modern companies face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their staff.
This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world nations, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As 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 merely sitting at the board.
There is also a need for a more diverse set of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a new way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most common challenges 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 each of our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run well, but they are only as able as the individuals who operate them.
There are also generational problems when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging all of the time and key business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their business.
Outside of 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 diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy. In a warehouse environment it is critical to use really good industrial shelving off of an assured supplier to keep the workforce safe.
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The Generations
The need 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 worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in today’s business can be separated into the following four groups:
Traditionals
Senior, or “traditional”, employees 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 industry 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 under 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 ranks within a business their views and beliefs will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt 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 down turn 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 jobs within a contemporary business.
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 very family- oriented. They would be the mother and father 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 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 noted that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , 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 distributed amongst the various levels of management within a contemporary company.
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 worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or maybe two companies. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have jobs.
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 study and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.
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 environment where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the older generations and contemporary technical equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling 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, issues involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many parts of the business. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the work environment.
The same principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still carry out many of the important functions of the organisation. Internal business procedures are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological skills and knowledge.
Physical limitations
There are obvious 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 consequently they will be less suited to roles that involve 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 jobs reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that proper support is given to any worker who struggles with the physical aspect of their role.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical problems 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 introduction and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk environment itself can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not good. 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 modern workplace on the body.
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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 effective generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working relationship between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.
If there are specific jobs within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only use members of that generation to carry out the task. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control. 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 business can learn about managing different generations of staff. 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 events can be of great benefit to your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the problem in greater detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations. Every company has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you discover the correct management approach for your organisation.
If setting your own administrators the task of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been continually changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the language used for communication, but matters of manners and etiquette.
Each generation is also motivated by different factors, and have come from various 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.
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 discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.