Introduction
The extent of change that the planet has experienced over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the pace at which a lot of these changes have come about is no less striking. These shifts have affected nearly every aspect of our lives beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the traits of a successful organisation trading in the modern 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 individuals 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. Since 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 sometimes as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting on the board.
There is also a demand for a more diverse set of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a new way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most typical 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 these days and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle.
There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are being created all of the time and key business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their business. This can be said of sales as well as promotional options that have come forth with the rise of the World Wide Web.
Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy. In a warehouse setting it is crucial to use really good industrial shelving off of a quality maker to keep the workforce safe.
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The Generations
The need to manage 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 worthwhile taking note of.
Traditionals
Mature, 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 a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior ranks within a company 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.
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 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 earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are very family- oriented. They would be the mother and father of the traditional “nuclear family”.
When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will often be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grasp on modern developments 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 at ease when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , 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 spread amongst the various levels of management within a modern company.
Socially they grew up in extremely demanding 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 early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or maybe two businesses. They are expected to work long and hard hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have careers.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by financial 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 supervision to ensure their efficient 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 climate 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.
One of the largest change management challenges facing contemporary companies can be office refurbishments since numerous computer systems need to be moved.
The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and modern 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 is made very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern organisation, issues involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel 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. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the work environment.
The same 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 factors that may influence how a successful company manages its workforce 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. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, however as a generalisation it’s correct.
Fortunately, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these roles reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical capability.
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 much more frequent 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 periods of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the human body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has obtained more exposure over recent years and many additional companies 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 relationship between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.
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 carry out the job. This kind of specialisation requires 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 different generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful information that can be obtained from these occasions can be of special benefit to an organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the web that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various situations. Every company 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 administrators the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find that it is hard to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been continually changing.
Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be applied across numerous generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your business does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it. The business must do what is best for its own success.
Contemporary 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 route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.
Corn Future