Introduction

The degree 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 impressive. These changes have touched nearly every aspect of our existence beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our everyday lives.

One area of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business world. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying 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 foreign to businesses from years gone by.

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

This is partly due to the ever 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 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 wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.

Problems

One of the most typical problems that face a modern enterprise that is operating 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 business puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as capable as the people who work them.

There are also generational problems 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 important business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business. This can be said of sales and promotional options that have come forth with the rise of the Web.

Beyond this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy. In a warehouse setting it is critical to use professional industrial shelving from an assured manufacturer to keep the workforce safe.

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The Generations

The need to manage generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worth taking note of.

Traditionals

Senior, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate 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 industry 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 beneath the shadow of an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.

Since many of the senior generation will hold senior ranks within a business their views and opinions will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt the future success or failure of the business. This difference between modern thinking and business control requires direction.

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 down turn in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and are likely to form the vast majority of management jobs within a modern business.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the mother and father of the classic “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will frequently 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 observed that they are not at ease when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at giving 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 currently aged between 30 and 45 and will be distributed amongst the various tiers of management within a contemporary company.

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 young age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or maybe two companies.

As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but can 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 supervision to ensure their effective 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 environment where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive marketing to be second nature.

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The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the older generations and modern technical equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly 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, problems involving technology might have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from controlling payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for promotion. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the business. This introduces the challenge of managing generations in the work environment.

A similar principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still carry out many of the important functions of the organisation.

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 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’s true.

Luckily, 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 ability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that adequate support is given to any worker who struggles with the physical aspect of their role.

Modern ailments

Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that businesses of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become 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 intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long periods of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye damage. Studies are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the human body.

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Solutions

The management of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned several new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.

If there are particular jobs within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to carry out the job. This kind of specialisation demands 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 several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of helpful information that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to your organisation.

There are also a lot of resources available on the web that discuss the matter in greater detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various situations. Every business has different 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 job of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice. Using their services could be the most prudent way to address your corporate circumstances.

Conclusion

Different generations of worker can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.

Each generation is also motivated by different things, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be used 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. The company must do what is optimum for its own success.

Modern businesses 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 often the case, the route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic management.