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 many of these changes have come about is no less striking. These changes have touched almost every aspect of our existence beyond our basic 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 vast changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful company trading in the modern 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 requirements of organisations change and the skills required have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.
This is partly 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 merely sitting at the board.
There is also a need for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business surroundings, triggered largely due to the quick development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a new way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working age group.
Problems
One of the most common problems that face a modern business that is working 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 pivotal piece of the business puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run well, but they are only as capable as the people who operate them.
There are also generational problems 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 need to be aware of any that apply to their company.
Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy. In a warehouse setting it is critical to use really good industrial shelving by a quality maker to keep the workforce secure.
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The Generations
The need to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worth taking note of.
Traditionals
Mature, 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 while this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of an international conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
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 decisions will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt 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 roughly speaking and are likely to form the vast majority of management roles within a contemporary 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. They would be the mother and father of the traditional “nuclear family”.
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 developments in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working effectively in teams, although it is often noted that they are not at ease when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other workers.
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 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 companies. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution influences 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 organisation.
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 concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.
Office supplies are a necessity for a smooth running company therefore storage bins often accomplish a function to manage these assets.
The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the older generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping 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 is made very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern organisation, issues involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the technologies being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many areas of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations in the workplace.
A similar principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the organisation.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical factors that may affect 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 require physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in lots of companies, however as a generalisation it is correct.
Luckily, most of the older generations of worker 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 capability.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that companies 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 environment 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 periods of sitting incorrectly, and long durations of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye damage. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the body.
Younger generations of workers are becoming used to fashionable office furniture inside modern organisations but older generations seem less bothered.
Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received more exposure over recent years and many more businesses 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 improving the working relationship 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 get members of that generation to perform the task. 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 grows old.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several 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 events can be of great benefit to your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.
If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now include 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 worker can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a planet that has been constantly changing.
Each generation is also motivated by different factors, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be applied across numerous generations but it is also important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it.
Contemporary organisations have a varied 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 path to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- utilising the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic direction.