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 changes have affected almost every aspect of our existence beyond our fundamental 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 world. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the modern arena would seem alien 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 is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world countries, 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 organisation into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and often as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting at the board.
There is also a demand for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone 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 common problems that face a modern enterprise that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle.
There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging all of the time and key business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their business. This can be said of sales and promotional options that have emerged with the rise of the Internet.
Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy. In a warehouse environment it is vital to use professional industrial shelving by a quality manufacturer to keep the workforce secure.
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The Generations
The requirement to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in a modern business can be separated into the following four groups:
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 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 under the shadow of an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior ranks within a company their views and opinions will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt 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, when there was a general decline in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and are likely to form the vast majority of management roles within a contemporary company.
This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented.
When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grip on modern developments 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 currently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various levels of management within a contemporary business.
Socially they grew up in extremely stressful 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 young age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have professions.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by financial 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 effective 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 rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures 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 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 world wide web is, the void between the old and the new becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the newer business, problems involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for promotion. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies being used by an organisation is likely to find problems 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 routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the organisation. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological skills and understanding.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical factors that may influence 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 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.
Fortunately, 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 capability.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that businesses 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 environment itself may create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any specific workstation are not good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long periods of sitting incorrectly, and long periods of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye impairment. 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 more 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 improving the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.
If there are particular 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 carry out the task. This kind of specialisation requires 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 business can learn about managing several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the topic 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 great benefit to your organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in greater 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 uncover the correct management method for your organisation.
If setting your own administrators the task 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.
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 world that has been continually changing. There are not simply concerns when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but issues of manners as well as etiquette.
Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be applied across numerous generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it.
Modern businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements 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 discovering a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through educated and empathetic management.