We live in interesting times. On the one hand, the incredible rate of advancement in technology means that young employees are entering the economy – and climbing the ranks – much faster than before. On the other hand, advances in medical care (as well as the demands of a fickle economy) are allowing (and forcing) mature employees to retire at an ever later age.
The result? You may find that there is a big generation gap between the employees in your office. These days, skills count for more than years of service. This means that it is not unusual for a younger employee to be in charge of older workers.
Given the fact that people from different generations tend to espouse different values and base their careers on different motivations, it should not come as a surprise that this “generation gap” can lead to serious conflict in the workplace.
Some tips for handling these differences
- Try to get an idea of what motivates different generations of employees. The best way to understand an employee is to find out what type of background he comes from, what his values and opinions regarding the workplace are.
“If managers are not prepared for these different values, it can create conflict, poor performance and low morale in the workplace,” warns human resources expert Dale Mask.
- The consensus among human resources experts is that managers should adopt a situational leadership approach according to the person they are dealing with. The same goes for your style of communication. Say, that you, as manager, are in charge of an older employee. The key is to treat that employee with respect and to converse in a language which he or she can relate to.
- Remember that old saying “birds of a feather flock together”? Well, it is certainly applicable in the average workplace. You will find that the different generations will often form cliques, which further promotes the social divide.
- The answer is to create opportunities for interaction – on a social and business level – so that these generations can get to talking, and come to an understanding about what motivates their co-workers.
- Communication is king. It is vitally important to create open lines of communication in the diverse workplace. Employees should feel free to give feedback constantly, so that any gripes that spring from the generational gap can be addressed before they spiral out of control and start affecting the productivity of the workplace.
A look at the different generations
For the purposes of this article, we have divided the current workforce into two very broad categories. The older workforce is seen as consisting of any person between the age of 45 and 65, while the 'younger' workforce refers to persons between the age of 20 and 44.
The main difference between these groups, however, resides not so much in their age, but in their access to technology – related to the influence that the rise of the internet and information technology have had on their respective upbringing and careers.
- Generally, the older generation believes in hard work and that you have to pay your dues in order to climb the ranks. Today’s younger employees, however, are looking for immediate gratification.
- Growing up with the internet, they are used to having all the information they need, and to things happening with speed. They want that dream job, and they want it today
- The older generation worker most often believes in being loyal to his company and will stay there for years, even if it is not exactly his dream position. In contrast, the younger generation are loyal to their own career advancement – which means that they will job-hop until they find the perfect fit.
- Older generation workers started working in an age where rules and regulations and a strict hierarchical system of authority were at the order of the day. As such, younger workers often feel that these more mature employees are “stuck in their ways” and resistant to change and innovation.
- The younger generation, in turn, place high value on skills instead of authority. They crave the independence to make decisions and want the freedom to innovate. Younger workers – with their constant need for immediate and up-to-date information – also prefer open channels of communication, which allow them to give some input into the workings of the organisation. Because of this, older employees often feel that the “youngsters” are impatient and disrespectful towards authority.
- Research suggests that the two generations have different ways of thinking about recognition. While older employees often crave the respect that comes with experience and putting in long hours, younger employees think of recognition in terms of payment.
They want to see the money and they’d like some incentive to perform, thank you very much.
- Growing up in a different era, older generation workers are known for being hardworking employees. They are the “overtimers” and they pride themselves on their very strong work ethic.
- At the other side of the spectrum reside the younger workers. They prefer to maintain a balance between their work and personal lives, the latter of which is very important to them. Generally, they don’t see themselves as defined by what they do.
They try not to take their work home with them, preferring to separate their work and home lives.
The above should serve only as an introduction to the topic of what the different generations want from life. Be aware of the fact that, even though it is easy to categorise the people in your workplace as “young” or “old”, and assign them certain characteristics, you are still dealing with highly individualistic employees.
Try not to stereotype them and put them into little boxes – the best way to manage your employees is still to get to know them on an individual level.
Sources:
Tips offered to close the generation gap in the workplace – Beverly Stencel, www.uwex.edu
The Workplace Generation Gap – Megan Malugani, www.careermonster.com
Managing the Generation Mix in the Workplace – Dale Mask
Intergenerational Miscommunication in the Workplace – Kate Wildrick, www.careermonster.com.