Introduction

The degree of change that the planet has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the pace at which many of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These shifts have touched almost 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 companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business 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 handle the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce.

This is partially due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, 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 set of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the quick 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 common challenges that face a modern business that is operating with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in each of our lives these days and they form a vital piece of the business 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 critical business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company.

Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of different needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied.

There have been many improvements with industrial shelving products enabling greater strength, flexibility and aesthetic charm.

The Generations

The requirement to manage generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are often 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’re 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 personal sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured under 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 greater weight than those of younger generations. Their decisions will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt the future success or failure of the organisation.

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 probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary company.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier 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 while 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 noted that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , 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 modern business.

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 early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have professions.

Therefore, 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 monetary benefits rather than a sense of duty since they feel they have paid their dues through a life of study 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 group 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 ideas and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.

Office supplies are a necessity for a clean running business therefore storage bins often accomplish a role to manage these resources.

The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the older 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 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 critical to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies 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 workplace.

A similar principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, 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 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 involve physical exertions.

Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these roles reward based upon knowledge 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 like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more frequent since the widespread launch and use of computer keyboards.

The desk environment itself can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any specific workstation are not good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long durations 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 contemporary place of work on the body.

Businesses that wish to be successful often make use of fresh office furniture since looks promote a strong image of the company.

Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has obtained more exposure over recent years and many more businesses have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they are.

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 task. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational control. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation as your workforce grows old.

There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the topic 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 your organisation.

There are also many resources available on the Internet 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 workplace does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now incorporate 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 planet that has been continually changing. There are not simply concerns 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 different 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 the different age groups working for it.

Modern organisations have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the path to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic direction.