Has the generational divide in the workplace conversation been done to death?
It’s been twenty years now since the first class of newly-minted millennials entered (read, disrupted) workplaces around the world and older generations (read, silent and boomer) have been hand-wringing ever since.
Fortunately, for those of us who are weary of the histrionics, a growing body of research has tempered many of the breaking news-style headlines on our respective differences, with statistical proof of our common humanity beyond the generational divide.
But, hey – generational differences are real and inevitable – they always have been and always will be. It’s just plain unreasonable to think that a groovy boomer can work side by side with a Gucci Gen Z’er without having a few lost-in-translation moments in the day. They’re definitely not in the same WhatsApp group. (Does Gen Z do WhatsApp anymore?) So maybe it’s best we talk about how to make this situation work for everybody.
Generational remix
Today, we have 5 – count them – 5 generations coexisting in the workforce.
- Traditionalists (born 1927 – 1945) are generally characterised as hard-working and loyal with careers built over a lifetime at one company. Motivated by money, but want to add value and be respected. This group prefers low-key recognition of their achievements.
- Baby boomers (born 1946 – 1964) are well established in senior management positions. Committed and workaholic, boomers prefer monetary rewards, but also welcome flexible pension planning and sabbaticals. They also enjoy prestige rewards like important titles and corner offices.
- Generation X (born 1965 – 1980) are rising in the management ranks, but departing from the obsessive work habits of boomers. They like to work independently and aim for a work / life balance. Gen X employees value rewards in the form of bonuses and stock options, and flexibility. They prefer social rewards in the form of informal public recognition.
- Generation Y (born 1981 – 1995) are digital natives more comfortable with a keyboard than a pencil. They are entrepreneurial and will happily change employers every few years. This generation values monetary rewards like stock options and non-monetary rewards like feedback, time off and flexible schedules. They like regular, informal recognition on social media forums.
- Generation Z (born 1996 – 2015) are just entering the workforce, looking to collaborate, create and learn. They value social rewards like mentorship and feedback over money. More tech savvy than even the previous generation, they work multiple devices at any given time. They respond to regular recognition from the boss, experiential rewards and workplace flexibility.
Get the latest on reward trends for every generation: Top 5 employee incentive reward trends to watch out for in 2020
Differences are relative
Bear in mind that the generational titles we use to define and divide individuals based on birth dates are not hard, fast, established facts. They’re cohorts defined by researchers as a tool to analyse changes in public attitudes. Generational cohorts “allow researchers to examine how today’s older adults felt about a given issue when they themselves were young, as well as to describe how the trajectory of views might differ across generations.”
The real generational differences arise based on the formative experiences of each demographic and how world events (technological shifts, economic conditions, political conflicts, social concerns) influence people’s world-views as they age.
So perhaps it’s not generational differences that create conflict in the workplace. It’s generational bias that’s the problem.
Managing across the generational divide
In the dark days of command and control management, running a team was a simple matter. Bosses bossed and employees followed orders and everybody got paid at the end of the month. Rinse and repeat.
Concepts like motivation were relevant in the context of productivity, which was incentivised by carrots on sticks, reward strategies were one-size-fits-all, salary and benefits were a fairly uniform calculation and the retirement bell rang at 65. Bring on the gold watch.
Traditionalists and borderline Baby boomers came of professional age in that environment, which goes some way to explaining their exasperation with their always on, tech-obsessed colleagues and team members.
Research has shown the value of a diverse workforce. So maybe we all just need to learn how to get along and get on with business.
Here are 5 practical tips to help you manage and motivate your multi generational team.
1.Understand what matters to individuals
Avoid stereotyping and get to know what’s important to people as individuals. You can make certain high-level assumptions, like, Sheila, your 50+ accounting manager will probably not enjoy a team building afternoon playing Apex Legends in the boardroom. (But maybe she would. You won’t know unless you ask.)
In a large-scale survey by SagePeople, over 34% of HR leaders reported hiring people scientists to help them better understand their workforce. That’s a serious need to know.
A more traditional but still effective method is to periodically conduct pulse surveys for continuous feedback on employee needs and expectations. Find out how people see their future with the company, what kind of skills training they need, and what kind of recognition and rewards are meaningful to them.
Get your reward choices right every time. See: The 7 fundamentals of getting rewards right
2. Practice human-centred management
Regardless of generational differences, at a basic human level, we all want the same things. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s wide awake, but the anecdotal evidence is backed by plenty of research.
- Everyone wants respect. And they want to be respected in the right way. For older people respect means “giving my opinions the weight I believe they deserve,” while for younger people it’s, “listen to me, pay attention to what I have to say.”
- Leaders must be trustworthy. Different generations have very similar expectations of their leaders. Trust is key.
- Nobody likes change. Resistance to change has nothing to do with age; but rather how much a person stands to gain or lose as a result of change.
- Loyalty depends on context. For many boomers, face time at the office and years spent with a company are benchmarks of loyalty. Younger people will happily leave one job for a better opportunity at another. No hard feelings. The decision is contextual, not generational.
- Everyone wants to learn. Learning and development are important to all generations. Everyone wants to learn, grow and expand their knowledge and skills.
- Everyone likes feedback. Everyone wants to know how they are doing and learn how they can do better.
3. Foster team collaboration
Diversity, in its many forms (age, race, gender, culture) is a proven formula for success. In a global survey by Forbes Insights, 85% of respondents agreed that “A diverse and inclusive workforce is crucial to encouraging different perspectives and ideas that drive innovation.” And isn’t that what every business needs in a fast-moving, volatile marketplace?
Imagine the potential of a multi generational team: structured, formal traditionalists + super committed, work-obsessed boomers + independent, resourceful Gen X’ers + team-oriented, tech-savvy Gen Y’ers. With the right management support that mix of attitudes and perspectives could lead to great things.
Managers need to create an environment where it’s OK for the team to openly disagree, raise objections and debate alternative ideas. That’s the kind of productive conflict that sparks creativity and innovation. Work it.
4. Encourage cross-generational mentoring
Social media, social etiquette, new technology, old tricks of the trade; there are countless opportunities in the course of a day for cross-generational mentoring. It’s as much about setting the stage for personal bonding as it is about the actual knowledge transfer.
Everyone has something to teach and something to learn. It’s an equaliser a way for people to get past real and perceived differences (older people resist new technology, younger people are easily distracted) by sharing even a brief period of common purpose and interest.
5. Be flexible
There has never been a one-size-fits-all solution to managing and motivating people. The current generational spread has just made the job more challenging. Managers need to understand that different generations come to work with expectations and requirements that have been uniquely forged, to some degree, according to their position on a cultural timeline.
In the more shallow recesses of collective memory, success in any line of work required conformity to homogeneous business norms. But the social winds have shifted. Today, the onus is on HR leaders to adjust policies and ways of working to accommodate the needs of different generations, with an eye to achieving optimal work performance and business results.
Flexible hours, off-site work arrangements, international postings and professional development opportunities are just a few of the offerings that can help attract and retain employees across all generations.
Think about using new tools like gamification for recruitment screening, onboarding and training. Support employee engagement and solve key business problems with incubators and hackathons.
And don’t forget the value of a solid rewards strategy grounded in data and designed to appeal across generations. Used effectively, the right rewards help reinforce the cultural norms and performance focus your business needs to thrive.
The objective here is not about keeping current with the latest management fads and fashions. It’s about being relevant and leveraging the formidable power of a multi generational workforce.
Start a new conversation
Communication is the simplest, most effective method for dispelling bias and stereotypes, illuminating commonalities and building bonds. Maybe we need to stop talking about the generational divide and start listening more closely to everyone on the team, to acknowledge our individual differences as well as our shared goals.
[sc name=”blog_cta_download_eguide_02″ ]
