Introduction
The extent of change that the world has seasoned 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.
One part of life which has not escaped these vast changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the contemporary arena would seem alien to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their staff.
This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As 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 often as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting at the board.
There is also a demand for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive 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 fresh way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working age group.
Problems
One of the most common challenges 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 vital piece of the business puzzle.
There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business aspects 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. This can be said of sales and promotional options that have come forth with the rise of the Internet.
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 fulfil a range of different needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse setting it is crucial to utilise good industrial shelving off of a reputable maker to keep the workforce safe.
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The Generations
The need to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worth taking note of. The generations of worker that may be found in today’s business can be split into the following four groups:
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 business 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 a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior ranks 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 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, when there was a general decline in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and are likely to 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 group of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the parents of the classic “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 advances in terms of technologies and business processes. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well in teams, although it is often noted 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 environment.
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 contemporary business.
Socially they grew up in extremely 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 young 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 jobs.
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 learning and work. Generation X need close management to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.
Generation NeXt
This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest collection 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 concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
We are all 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 is made very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern business, issues involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies being used by a company is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the business. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the workplace.
A similar principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the business.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical aspects 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 consequently they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, however as a generalisation it’s correct.
Fortunately, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these jobs reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical conditions that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common 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 impairment. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary place of work on the human body.
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Solutions
The management of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many additional companies have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working relationship between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.
If there are particular jobs 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 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 events can be of special benefit to your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in greater detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every company 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 workplace does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find that it is hard to work together. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.
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.
Modern organisations have a varied range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so frequently the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through informed and empathetic management.
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