Introduction
The degree of change that the world has seasoned 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 impressive.
One area of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. Modern companies may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it started, but many of the traits of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary arena would seem foreign 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 staff.
This is partly due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world countries, 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 sometimes 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 modern business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a new way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most typical problems that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in our lives nowadays and they form a vital piece of the business puzzle.
There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business factors such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their company.
Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of worker, physical 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. In a warehouse environment it is critical to make use of premium industrial shelving by a quality maker to keep the workforce safe.
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The Generations
The requirement to manage generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions 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 today’s business can be separated into the following four groups:
Traditionals
Senior, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate environment. They are 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 whilst this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of a global conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.
Since many of the senior generation will hold senior positions 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 shape the future success or failure of the business. This disparity between modern thinking and business control requires direction.
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 down turn in the birth rate around the world. 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 earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are very 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 well 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 workers. These communication issues can become very disruptive in a corporate environment.
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 distributed amongst the various levels of management within a contemporary company.
Socially they grew up in very stressful 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 early age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses. They are expected to work long and hard hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.
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 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 management to ensure their effective contribution to the organisation.
Generation NeXt
This generation were born after 1980 and are the youngest group 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 processes and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive 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 modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being genuinely 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 organisation, problems involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing 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 areas of the business. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the work environment.
The same principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still perform many of the important functions of the organisation.
Physical limitations
There are clear 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 is true.
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 understanding and experience rather than physical ability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who battles with the physical side of their role.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much 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 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 contemporary place of work on the human body.
The number of workplace accidents including office furniture increases steadily as longer is spent by employees at work.
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 relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.
If there are specific 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 job. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation when your workforce ages.
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 useful 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 problem in greater detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various scenarios.
If setting your own managers the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing. There are not simply concerns 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 various social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be used 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. The company must do what is optimum for its own good results.
Modern businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the route to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic management.