Introduction
The degree of change that the world has seasoned 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. These changes have touched almost every aspect of our existence beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our everyday lives.
One area 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 began, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the modern world would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their staff. This challenge has been around for a long time, but as the requirements of organisations change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences among workers have become more obvious.
This is partially due to the ever increasing life expectancy of humans, 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 stay with the same company into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and often as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting on the board.
There is also a demand for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most typical challenges that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle. This computing power can help businesses to run well, but they are only as capable as the individuals who work them.
There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business 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 communication problems between different generations of employee, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy.
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The Generations
The need to manage generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in today’s business can be split 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 whilst this belief was nurtured under the shadow of a global 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 business their views and opinions will generally carry greater 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 management.
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 business.
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 traditional “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 well in teams, although it is often noted that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other employees. These communication issues can become very disruptive in a corporate setting.
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 tiers 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 before working their way up within one or perhaps two companies. They are expected to work long and hard hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have jobs.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution influences 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 supervision to ensure their effective 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 climate 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
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the elderly 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 becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern business, problems involving technology might 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 technologies being used by a company is likely to find problems in many parts of the corporation.
The same principle can 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 older systems that still perform many of the important functions of the business.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical factors that may affect 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. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, however as a generalisation it is true.
Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these jobs reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that businesses of the past would not have had to face. 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 can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any specific 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. Studies are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the body.
Younger generations of workers are becoming accustomed to fashionable office furniture inside contemporary organisations whereas older generations seem less bothered.
Solutions
The management of generations in the workplace has obtained more 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 rapport between the business and its workers, no matter how old they may be.
If there are specific roles 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 job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation as 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 useful information 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 different ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every business has different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you uncover the correct management approach for your company.
If setting your own administrators the job 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 it difficult to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been constantly changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the language used for communication, but issues of manners as well as etiquette.
Each generation is also motivated by different things, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be applied across numerous generations but it is also important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The business must do what is optimum for its own success.
Modern businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so frequently the case, the path to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through educated and empathetic direction.
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