Introduction
The extent of change that the planet 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 impressive. These shifts have affected almost every aspect of our existence beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our everyday 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 business since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful company trading in the contemporary arena would seem foreign to businesses of the past.
An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to manage the different generations of people who make up their staff.
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 stay with the same organisation 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 range of skills in the modern business surroundings, triggered largely due to the quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone significant changes which require a new 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 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 more efficiently, but they are only as able as the individuals who operate them.
There are also generational issues 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 critical business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business. This can be said of sales as well as promotional options that have emerged with the rise of the World Wide Web.
Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to fulfil 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 unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worth taking note of.
Traditionals
Mature, or “traditional”, employees 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 beliefs will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and shape the future success or failure of the business. This difference 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 decline 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 modern business.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst previous 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 whilst still maintaining a grip on modern developments in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working effectively in teams, although it is often observed that they are not comfortable 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 presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various levels of management within a contemporary company.
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 worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses. They are expected to work long and hard hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have jobs.
Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by monetary benefits rather than a sense of duty because 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 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 rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas 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 elderly generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling 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 modern business, problems involving technology might have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from operating 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 a company is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations in the work environment.
The same principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the organisation. Internal business procedures are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological skills and knowledge.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical factors that may influence 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.
Fortunately, most of the older generations of employee 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 worker who struggles with the physical aspect of their role.
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 more frequent 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 particular 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 impairment. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the human body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has obtained more exposure over recent years and many more companies have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned several new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working rapport between the business and its workers, no matter how old they may be.
If there are specific jobs 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 job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational management.
There are a number of ways in which your company 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 helpful information that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to an 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 scenarios.
If setting your own administrators the task of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find that it is hard to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been continually 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 used across numerous generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your business does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it. The business must do what is best for its own good results.
Modern businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so frequently the case, the route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly - through informed and empathetic management.
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