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.

One part of life which 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 characteristics of a successful company trading in the modern arena would seem foreign 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 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 ever increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world countries, 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 organisation 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 progressive 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 radical 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 challenges that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in our lives nowadays and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle.

There are also generational issues when it comes to external business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate 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 and promotional options that have come forth with the rise of the Internet.

Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of different wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse environment it is critical to make use of really good industrial shelving from a reputable maker to keep the workforce secure.

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The Generations

The requirement to manage 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 employee that may be found in a modern 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 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 under 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 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 control 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 globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and probably form the vast majority of management roles within a modern company.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the parents of the classic “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the workplace, 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 noted that they are not at ease when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other employees. These communication issues 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 distributed amongst the various levels of management within a modern 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 made clear 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 businesses. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.

Therefore, 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 monetary 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 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 environment where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive promotion to be second nature.

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The Working Environment

Technology

Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older generations and contemporary technological 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 can have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital 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 reverse. The younger generations may 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 business.

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 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 organisation they work for, and these roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who battles with the physical aspect of their role.

Modern ailments

Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that businesses 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 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 monitors can contribute to long- term eye damage. Studies are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the human body.

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Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many additional companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.

If there are particular roles within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to perform the job. 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 topic 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 an organisation.

There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.

If setting your own managers the task of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Utilising their services may be the most prudent method to address your own business situation.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.

Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be used across a multitude of generations but it is also important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it.

Modern organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so frequently the case, the route to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- utilising the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic management.

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