Introduction

The extent of change that the planet has experienced over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed 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 world. 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 company trading in the modern world would seem alien to businesses of the past.

An interesting problem that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce. This challenge has been about for a long time, but as the needs of companies change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences among workers have become more obvious.

This is partly due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which in turn 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 often 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 surroundings, triggered largely due to the quick development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working age group.

Problems

One of the most common challenges that face a modern business that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in each of our lives nowadays and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle. This computing power can help businesses to run well, but they are only as capable as the people who work them.

There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and business 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 Internet.

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 fulfil a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy. In a warehouse setting it is crucial to make use of professional industrial shelving from a quality supplier to keep the workforce secure.

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The Generations

The need to handle generations in the workplace 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 worker 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 business 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 a global 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 company their views and opinions will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their decisions will often be fundamental to the business and shape the future success or failure of the business.

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 down turn 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 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 collection of people that are very family- oriented. They would be the parents of the classic “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grasp on modern developments 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 helpful) , 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 tiers of management within a contemporary business.

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 young age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.

Therefore, 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 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 supervision to ensure their effective 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 ideas and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing 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 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, issues involving technology might have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route 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.

A similar 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 carry out many of the critical functions of the business.

Physical limitations

There are obvious physical aspects that may affect 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 involve physical exertions.

Luckily, 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 capability.

Modern ailments

Modern businesses are faced with physical conditions that companies 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 launch 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 intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long durations of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye damage. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the human body.

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Solutions

The management of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many more 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 developing the working relationship between the business and its workforce, 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 perform the job. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management. 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 different generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the subject 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 your organisation.

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

If setting your own managers 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 employee can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.

Each generation is also motivated by different things, 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 needs 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 finding a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.