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Introduction

The degree of change that the world 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. These shifts have affected almost every aspect of our lives beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our day to day lives.

One area of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the modern arena would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.

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 organisations change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences among workers have become more pronounced.

This is partly due to the ever 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 simply sitting at the board.

There is also a demand for a more diverse set of skills in the progressive business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a fresh way of thinking.

Problems

One of the most typical 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 these days and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as able as the individuals who operate them.

There are also generational problems 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 need to be aware of any that apply to their company. This can be said of sales as well as promotional options that have come forth with the rise of the World Wide Web.

Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, psychological 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 satisfied.

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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 commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in a modern business can be separated 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 individual sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured under the shadow of a global conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.

Since many of the mature generation will hold senior ranks within a company their views and opinions 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. This difference between modern thinking and business influence 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 decline in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking 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 more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented.

When it comes to the workplace, 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 processes. 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 workers.

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 tiers of management within a contemporary business.

Socially they grew up in very 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 challenging hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have professions.

As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution influences 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 management to ensure their effective contribution to the company.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born after 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 seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.

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The Working Environment

Technology

Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older generations and modern technical equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly confused about what the world wide web is, the void between the old and the new is made very apparent when it comes to technology.

In regards to the newer organisation, 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 channel for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies being used by a company is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the business. This introduces the challenge of managing generations in the work environment.

A similar principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the business.

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. There will be exceptions to this in lots of companies, however as a generalisation it’s true.

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 understanding and experience rather than physical capability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any worker who struggles with the physical side of their role.

Modern ailments

Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more common since the widespread launch and use of personal computer keyboards.

The desk setting itself may 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. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern workplace on the human body.

Far too often, business employees think desk chairs barely impact their bodies in a negative way which is not always true.

Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has received more 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 routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working relationship between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.

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 management.

There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing different 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 your organisation.

There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in greater detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations. 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 task of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work collectively. 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 terminology used for communication, but matters of manners as well as etiquette.

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 applied across numerous generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The company must do what is best for its own success.

Modern organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so frequently the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.

 

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