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Introduction

The extent of change that the world has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which many 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 businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the modern world would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.

An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to manage the different generations of people who make up their staff. This problem has been around 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 partially due to the increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world nations, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since 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 on the board.

There is also a demand for a more diverse set of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.

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 nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle. This computing power can help businesses to run well, but they are only as able 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 corporate best practices are being created all of the time and key 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 Web.

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

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The Generations

The need to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of.

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 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 nowadays.

Since many of the mature generation will hold senior positions within a business their views and beliefs 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.

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 decline 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 company.

This generation grew up without much 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 parents of the classic “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grasp on modern developments in terms of technologies and business processes. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well 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 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 levels of management within a contemporary company.

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 maybe two companies.

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 monetary 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 management to ensure their efficient contribution to the organisation.

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 climate where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas 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 elderly generations and contemporary technological equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly 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 newer organisation, problems involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing 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 can also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the business.

Physical limitations

There are obvious physical factors that may affect 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 require physical exertions.

Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these jobs reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical ability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who battles with the physical side of their role.

Modern ailments

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

The desk setting 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 durations of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye damage. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the body.

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

Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many additional businesses 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 relationship between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.

If there are particular jobs within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to carry out 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 ages.

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 useful information that can be obtained from these occasions can be of special benefit to an organisation.

There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique 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 consultants that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice. Utilising their services may be the most prudent method to address your own corporate circumstances.

Conclusion

Different generations of worker 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 motivated by different factors, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be applied 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.

Contemporary organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed in this article. 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.