Introduction

The extent of change that the world 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.

One part of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business since it started, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary world would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.

An interesting problem that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their staff. 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 pronounced.

This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world countries, which consequently 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 sometimes as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting at the board.

There is also a need for a more diverse set of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the quick 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 new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.

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. Computer systems are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle.

There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging all of the time and key business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company. This can be said of sales as well as promotional channels that have come forth with the rise of the World Wide Web.

Beyond this, there can be communication problems between different generations of worker, physical 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.

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The Generations

The need to manage generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of.

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 personal sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured under the shadow of an international 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 beliefs 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.

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 decline in the birth rate around the globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and are likely to form the vast majority of management jobs 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 group of people that are very family- oriented. They would be the parents of the traditional “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grip on modern developments in terms of technologies and business processes. 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 constructive) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other workers. These communication problems can become very disruptive in a business setting.

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 tiers of management within a modern business.

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 before working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.

Therefore, 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 company.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born since 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 procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive promotion to be second nature.

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The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the older 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 Internet is, the void between the old and the new becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.

In regards to the modern business, problems involving technology can have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the corporation. 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 may be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, 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 factors that may influence how a successful company manages its workers 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.

Luckily, 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 knowledge and experience rather than physical capability.

Modern ailments

Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that businesses of the past would not have had to face. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more frequent since the widespread introduction and use of computer keyboards.

The desk setting itself may 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 monitors can contribute to long- term eye damage. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern workplace on the body.

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Solutions

The management of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many more companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned several new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.

If there are specific jobs within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get 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 as your workforce ages.

There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing different generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the topic 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 your 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 individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you discover the correct management method for your company.

If setting your own managers the task of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.

Each generation is also motivated by different factors, 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 important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it. The company must do what is best for its own success.

Modern organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so frequently 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.