Introduction

The extent of change that the world 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 impressive.

One area of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. 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 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 staff. This challenge has been around for a long time, but as the requirements of companies change and the skills required have evolved, the differences between workers have become more obvious.

This is partially due to the ever increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which in turn 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 often as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting on the board.

There is also a demand for a more diverse range of skills in the modern business surroundings, triggered largely due to the quick development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a new way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.

Problems

One of the most common problems that face a modern enterprise 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 corporate puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run well, but they are only as able as the individuals who operate them.

There are also generational problems when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business.

Beyond 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 needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy. In a warehouse environment it is vital to make use of good industrial shelving off of a reputable manufacturer to keep the workforce secure.

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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 often found in business are worth taking note of.

Traditionals

Senior, 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 whilst this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of an international 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 beliefs 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 decline in the birth rate around the globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and probably form the vast majority of management roles within a contemporary business.

This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier 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 while still maintaining a grasp on modern developments in terms of technologies and business processes. 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 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 early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.

As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution influences 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 study and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.

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 concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.

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The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and contemporary technological equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being genuinely 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 newer business, problems involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies being used by a company is likely to find problems in many areas of the business.

A similar principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the important functions of the business.

Physical limitations

There are clear physical factors that may affect 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. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, but as a generalisation it’s true.

Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability.

Modern ailments

Modern companies are faced with physical problems 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 specific workstation are not good. 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 impairment. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern workplace on the body.

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Solutions

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

If there are specific roles 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 requires 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 different generations of staff. 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 special benefit to your organisation.

There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every business has different 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 workplace does not seem appropriate there are many business consultants 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 planet that has been constantly changing.

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 used across a multitude of generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your business does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The business must do what is best for its own good results.

Contemporary businesses have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements 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- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through educated and empathetic direction.