Random Gazette

Introduction

The extent of change that the world has seasoned 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.

One area of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business domain. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business since it started, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the modern arena would seem alien to businesses of the past.

An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce. This problem has been around for a long time, but as the needs of organisations change and the skills required have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.

This is partially due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world countries, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since people work to a later point in their lives, they may remain with the same company into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and often 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 progressive business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.

Problems

One of the most common challenges that face a modern business that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as capable as the individuals who operate them.

There are also generational issues when it comes to external business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate 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 satisfy a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce content. In a warehouse setting it is vital to utilise high quality industrial shelving by an assured supplier to keep the workforce secure.

It is commonplace for the younger age bracket to operate alongside industrial shelving items since they’re suited to physical labour.

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 worth taking note of. The generations of worker that may be found in today’s business can be separated into the following four groups:

Traditionals

Mature, or “traditional”, workers are the oldest that would be found in a modern business 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 individual sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured under the shadow of an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.

Since many of the mature generation will hold senior ranks within a company their views and opinions will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their decisions 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 probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary company.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational group 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 grasp on modern advances 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 constructive) , and they are not good at giving 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 distributed amongst the various tiers of management within a contemporary business.

Socially they grew up in extremely stressful 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 progressed through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or maybe two businesses. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have professions.

Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by financial benefits rather than a sense of duty because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of study and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their effective contribution to the organisation.

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 climate where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.

A modern business needs to consider things beyond a company capacity, like interior refurbishments to maintain modern premises that reflect their corporate image.

The Working Environment

Technology

Everyone is 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 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 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 business.

The same principle can also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the business. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological skills and knowledge.

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 consequently they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions.

Fortunately, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability.

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 periods of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye damage. Studies are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the body.

A modern office environment may have some desk chairs plus briefcases littered precariously around the walkways between working spaces.

Solutions

The management of generations in the workplace has received greater 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 practices 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 particular 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 perform the task. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational control.

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 useful advice that can be obtained from these occasions can be of special benefit to an organisation.

There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in more 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 gurus 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 planet that has been constantly changing. There are not simply concerns when it comes to the language used for communication, but issues of manners as well as etiquette.

Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be true 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 different age groups working for it. The business must do what is optimum for its own good results.

Contemporary organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic direction.