The age diversity in the current workforce is the widest ever. It is now common for organizations to have employees working side-by-side with those that represent four to five generations. These generations are defined as the Silent Generation (1928-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), Generation Y (1981-1996), and Generation Z (1997-2012). Many employers have not placed a significant focus on taking advantage of this range of employees. HR leaders and management should consider all age groups during succession and strategic workforce planning to find the best ways to attract, engage, retain, and develop employees from various life stages.
Benefits with a Multi-Generational Workforce
One of the benefits of a multi-generational workforce is the multiple perspectives each individual brings to improve each other’s problem-solving abilities. Different generations can have distinctive ways of viewing job responsibilities. Sharing perspectives within and across teams brings a broad range of knowledge to support innovation. Combining multiple perspectives and diverse skills drives creative solutions to problems. Another benefit of a multi-generational workforce is the mentoring opportunities within employees. The more diverse a team is, the more ways people have to interact and learn from each other’s insights. Those with more years of experience can advise younger employees on career development. The roles can also reverse with cross-generational mentoring allowing more junior employees to educate mature workers with their familiarity with current trends and technology.
Challenges with a Multi-Generational Workforce
A challenge of a multi-generational workforce is negative stereotypes. As with any type of diversity, people have preconceived notions about those in a different age group. Older generations may assume that younger people are entitled or oversensitive. Younger generations may presume that those older than them are inflexible and afraid to embrace technology. These sweeping generalizations form negative stereotypes that might lead to toxic company culture. Another challenge management may face with a multi-generational workforce is employee expectations. People from different generations may not hold the same expectations for their employment. They may see their current employment for the long run or just a steppingstone for the next “big thing.”
Tips on Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce
Management is instrumental in ensuring the company bridges the generational gap and has efficient, cohesive teams. How do you overcome the multi-generational workforce challenges?
Discovering how to manage a multi-generational workforce certainly has its challenges, but it is also rewarding for your organization. Leveraging the age-related differences provides a talent pipeline to support business sustainability.