Introduction
The degree of change that the world has experienced 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 changes have affected nearly every aspect of our lives beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our everyday lives.
One area of life which has not escaped these vast changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the modern world 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 is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world nations, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay with the same company 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 progressive business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a new way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.
Problems
One of the most common problems 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 pivotal piece of the business puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as able as the individuals who operate them.
There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and critical business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their company.
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 satisfy a range of different wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse environment it is critical to utilise premium industrial shelving off of a quality maker to keep the workforce safe.
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The Generations
The requirement to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worth taking note of. The generations of employee 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 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 under the shadow of an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior positions within a business their views and beliefs will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements 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 down turn in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary company.
This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly 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 grip on modern developments 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 comfortable 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 business.
Socially they grew up in very 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 worked up through lower and higher education prior to 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 since they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close management to ensure their effective contribution to the company.
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 seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive promotion to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older generations and contemporary technical equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping 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 becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern business, issues involving technology might have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many parts of the business.
The same principle can 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 perform many of the important functions of the organisation.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical factors that may influence how a successful company manages its workforce 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 involve 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 roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical ability.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that businesses 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 computer keyboards.
The desk environment itself may create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long durations 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 modern place of work on the body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many more companies 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 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 perform the job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation when your workforce grows old.
There are a number of ways in which your company 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 many resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various situations. Every business has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you discover the correct management approach for your organisation.
If setting your own managers the task of learning about generations within the workplace 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 that it is hard to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but matters of manners and etiquette.
Each generation is also stimulated by different things, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be applied across numerous 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 success.
Modern organisations have a varied range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so frequently the case, the route to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- utilising the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly - through educated and empathetic management.