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 a lot of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These shifts have touched almost every aspect of our existence beyond our basic physical needs and have had a [...]
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 a lot of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These shifts have touched almost every aspect of our existence beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our everyday lives.
One area of life which has not escaped these broad 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 contemporary world would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their workforce. This challenge has been around for a long time, but as the requirements of organisations change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences among workers have become more pronounced.
This is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world countries, which in turn prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since 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 often as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting on the board.
There is also a need for a more diverse range of skills in the modern business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical 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 typical challenges that face a modern business that is operating with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal 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 important business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their business.
Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, 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.
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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 commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in today’s business can be split into the following four groups:
Traditionals
Senior, 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 whilst this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of a global conflict, lots 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 more weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt the future success or failure of the organisation. This disparity 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 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 roles within a contemporary business.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal 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 frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grip on modern advances in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well in teams, although it is often observed that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other workers. These communication problems can become very disruptive in a corporate environment.
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 levels of management within a modern 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 pointed out 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.
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 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 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 climate where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly 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 newer business, problems involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. 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’s not familiar with the technologies being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations in the workplace.
The same principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the organisation.
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 as such they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions.
Luckily, most of the older generations of employee 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 ability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who struggles with the physical aspect of their job.
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 frequent since the widespread introduction and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk environment 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 periods 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 body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received more exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of good 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 workforce, no matter how old they may be.
If there are specific 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 perform the task. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control.
There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing different generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of helpful advice that can be obtained from these events can be of great benefit to an 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 scenarios.
If setting your own administrators the task of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice. Employing their services could be the most prudent method to address your corporate situation.
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 planet that has been constantly changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the language used for communication, but matters of manners and etiquette.
Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, and have come from various 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 company must do what is best for its own good results.
Contemporary businesses have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs 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 finding a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly - through informed and empathetic management.
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