Introduction
The degree of change that the planet has experienced 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. These shifts have touched nearly every aspect of our lives beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental 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 foreign to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting problem that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of people who make up their workforce. This challenge has been about for a long time, but as the needs of companies change and the skills required have evolved, the differences between workers have become more obvious.
This is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of humans, 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 sometimes as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting at the board.
There is also a need for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most common challenges that face a modern business that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle.
There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business factors 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 business.
Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, physical limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of different needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse environment it is crucial to use premium industrial shelving off of a quality manufacturer to keep the workforce secure.
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The Generations
The need to handle 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 worth taking note of. The generations of worker 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 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 beneath 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 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.
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 world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and are likely to form the vast majority of management roles within a modern company.
This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational collection 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 grasp on modern advances in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well in teams, although it is often observed that they are not at ease when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , 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 modern company.
Socially they grew up in extremely 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 prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.
Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution affects 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 supervision to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.
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 climate where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive promotion to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and contemporary technical equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping 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 modern business, problems involving technology can have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital 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 technologies being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the business. This introduces the challenge of managing generations within the work environment.
The same principle may 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 carry out many of the important functions of the business.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical aspects 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 as such 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.
Luckily, 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 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 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 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 intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long durations 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 body.
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Solutions
The management of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many additional companies have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.
If there are particular roles within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to carry out the task. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational control.
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 practical advice that can be obtained from these events can be of great benefit to an organisation.
There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various situations. Every company has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you find the correct management method for your company.
If setting your own managers the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Using their services may be the most recommended method to address your own corporate situation.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find that it is hard to work together. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a world that has been continually 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 stimulated by different factors, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be used across a multitude of generations but it is also important to make sure that your business does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The company must do what is optimum for its own good results.
Modern businesses 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 frequently the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through educated and empathetic management.