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 many of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These shifts have affected almost every aspect of our lives beyond our basic physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business domain. Modern companies may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it started, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the contemporary arena would seem foreign to businesses of the past.
An interesting problem that modern businesses face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their workforce. This problem has been around for a long time, but as the needs of companies change and the skills required have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.
This is partly due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which in turn prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As people work to a later point in their lives, they may remain 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 climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a new way of thinking.
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. Computers are commonplace in each of our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run well, but they are only as able as the people who operate them.
There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging all of the time and critical 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, psychological limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce content. In a warehouse setting it is critical to make use of professional industrial shelving off of a quality maker to keep the workforce safe.
Many businesses find that they possess a demand of racking solutions over numerous departments of their organisation.
The Generations
The need to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are commonly 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”, employees 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 industry 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 under the shadow of a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the senior generation will hold senior ranks within a company their views and beliefs 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 down turn 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 jobs within a modern company.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the mother and father of the classic “nuclear family”.
When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grip on modern advances 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 comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other employees.
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 spread amongst the various tiers 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 made clear 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 perhaps two businesses. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have professions.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution influences 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 company.
Generation NeXt
This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest group of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social climate where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.
One of the largest change management challenges facing contemporary organisations can be office refurbishments given that many computer systems need to be moved.
The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the older 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 modern organisation, problems 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 route for promotion. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the corporation.
A similar principle can also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the business.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical aspects that may affect 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 consequently they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in lots of companies, however as a generalisation it is true.
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 ability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that adequate support is given to any employee who struggles with the physical aspect of their job.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to confront. 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 specific workstation are not great. 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 contemporary workplace on the human body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received more exposure over recent years and many more companies have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned several 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 best suited to 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 management.
There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing different generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful advice that can be obtained from these occasions can be of special benefit to your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the problem in greater detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.
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 together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.
Each generation is also motivated by different factors, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be applied across a multitude of generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it. The company must do what is optimum for its own success.
Modern organisations have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements 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- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through educated and empathetic direction.