Introduction

The extent of change that the planet has experienced over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which a lot of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These shifts have affected almost every aspect of our lives beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our day to day lives.

One area of life that has not escaped these broad 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 traits of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary world would seem alien to businesses of the past.

An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce. This problem has been around for a long time, but as the needs of organisations change and the skills required have evolved, the differences among workers have become more obvious.

This is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which in turn prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay 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 swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a new way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.

Problems

One of the most typical problems that face a modern business that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in each of our lives nowadays and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle.

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 important business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their company. This can be said of sales and promotional options that have emerged with the rise of the Web.

Beyond this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of different wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy.

Whilst aesthetics are always a desirable property, pallet racking that’s durable plus reliable should be the first choice for businesses.

The Generations

The requirement to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of worker that may be found in a modern business can be split into the following four groups:

Traditionals

Senior, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate 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 personal sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.

Since many of the senior generation will hold senior ranks within a business their views and beliefs will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their decisions will often be fundamental to the business and shape the future success or failure of the organisation. 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 modern company.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented.

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 advances 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 providing 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 distributed amongst the various levels of management within a modern business.

Socially they grew up in very 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 young age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or maybe two businesses.

As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but can 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 supervision to ensure their effective contribution to the organisation.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest collection of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social environment where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive marketing to be second nature.

Within the modern business, professionals in charge of buying storage bins inside of specific financial restrictions must choose between functionality and form.

The Working Environment

Technology

Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older 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 consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from controlling 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 a company is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations in the workplace.

A similar 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 business. 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 aspects 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 involve physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in lots of companies, but as a generalisation it is true.

Luckily, most of the older generations of worker 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 ability. It is however important to make sure that adequate 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 companies of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more frequent since the widespread introduction and use of 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 periods of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye damage. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the body.

A market has been created recently for companies providing office furniture products plus installation directly into an office environment.

Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has obtained more exposure over recent years and many more businesses have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they are.

If there are particular roles 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 demands good organisational management.

There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing several generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of practical information that can be obtained from these occasions can be of special benefit to an organisation.

There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various situations. Every business has different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you uncover the correct management approach for your company.

If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice. Employing their services may be the most recommended way to address your business situation.

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 constantly changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the language used for communication, but issues of manners and etiquette.

Each generation is also motivated by different things, 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 crucial that you make sure that your business does not micro- manage different age groups working for it.

Modern organisations have a diverse 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 path to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- utilising the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.

Download Tweetglide