Introduction
The degree of change that the planet has experienced 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 striking. These shifts have touched nearly every aspect of our existence beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary world would seem foreign to businesses of the past.
An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of people who make up their workforce. This challenge 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 partly due to the increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world nations, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay with the same organisation into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and sometimes as hands- on workers rather than simply 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 extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a new way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most common problems that face a modern enterprise that is working with a number of different 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 problems when it comes to external business factors such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging 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 channels that have emerged with the rise of the Web.
Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, 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. In a warehouse environment it is critical to make use of high quality industrial shelving from an assured maker to keep the workforce safe.
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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 split into the following four groups:
Traditionals
Senior, or “traditional”, workers 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 business and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make individual 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 nowadays.
Since many of the mature 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. This difference between modern thinking and business influence 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 down turn in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary business.
This generation grew up without much 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 work environment, this group of workers will often be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grip on modern advances 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 at ease when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , 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 spread amongst the various levels of management within a modern company.
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 early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or maybe two businesses. They are expected to work long and hard hours and frequently 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 may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by monetary benefits rather than a sense of duty because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close management to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.
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 ideas and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and contemporary technical 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 is not familiar with the systems being used by a company is likely to find problems in many parts of the corporation.
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 carry out many of the critical functions of the business.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical factors 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 many companies, but as a generalisation it is true.
Luckily, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation 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 like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more frequent since the widespread introduction and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk setting 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 durations of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye damage. 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 control of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many more businesses have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport between the business and its workers, no matter how old they may be.
If there are specific roles within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only use members of that generation to carry out the job. This kind of specialisation requires 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 different generations of staff. 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 your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every company has different needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you find the correct management method 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. Using their services may be the most prudent method to address your business situation.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in distinct 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 true that one solution can be applied across a multitude of generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it.
Contemporary businesses have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed in this article. 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 informed and empathetic management.