Generational differences in the workplace
People of different ages can have different outlooks on various aspects of life – and that includes work. Bridging the generation gap in the workplace is vital for a happy, productive workplace culture.
What are the different generations at work?
The modern workplace is often multi-generational, with four generations currently of working age:
Baby boomers – born between 1946 and 1964
Gen X – born between 1965 and 1980
Millennials – born between 1981 and 1996
Gen Z – born between 1997 and 2012
As the older generations move towards retirement, Millennials are predicted to make up 39% of the global workforce by 2025, while Gen Z will account for 23% of workers.
The main friction in workplaces is often seen as being between Millennials and Baby Boomers. But Gen Xers are probably there in the middle somewhere, and relatively recently, Gen Z have come into the mix.
These generations have different ideas about and expectations of the workplace, from preferred methods of communication to degrees of company loyalty to feelings about success. This can lead to clashes – but it can be thought-provoking and creative too.
Is there a generational divide in the workplace?
While they don’t apply to every individual, researchers have observed generational differences in attitudes to work. Baby boomers, for example, may prioritize job security and loyalty to their employer, while Gen X are independent workers who were the pioneers around work-life balance and diversity in the workplace.
Millennials and Gen Z have continued to focus on these aspects of work, putting a high premium on work-life balance, as well as learning new skills. For Gen Z, it’s important to work for companies whose values align with their own. They’re also firmly in favor of hybrid work.
Despite their differences, the work generations have lots in common. For one thing, they all want to achieve success. What's different between the groups is attitudes towards reaching success, and what success means.
Baby Boomers firmly believe that hard work is the key to success, but Gen Z and Millennials see personal relationships and social connections as the most important factors in being successful
Managing generations in the workplace
All the generations have a lot to offer. Bringing people together and making the most of generational differences at work can reap dividends. Here’s a few tactics to try.
Introduce co-mentoring
Implementing co-mentoring between different generations in the workplace can prove very beneficial for relationships.The mentorship should be bi-directional, allowing different coworkers of all seniority levels to learn from each other.
This leads to closer relationships within the company, better communication and collaboration, and a much stronger company culture.
Foster communication on different platforms
Keeping communication lines open and friendly is essential for a positive work environment. But different generations have different communication styles. While Baby Boomers may prefer to communicate in person, Millennials and Gen Z expect the same levels of digital engagement that they enjoy in their personal lives to extend to the workplace.
Giving your employees a choice of communication options – a mix of online collaboration tools, video conferencing and in-person meetings can help to bridge the gap.
Offer shared incentives
Baby Boomers, Gen X-ers, Millennials or Gen Z – everyone likes to feel motivated and rewarded for hard work. Offering incentives that people can share can help bring them together.
For example, when a team is on-site working hard to finish a project, ordering in lunch lets them swap between formal, professional work and informal team bonding. It's a way to organically build better workplace relationships – whatever people's ages.
Look after employees’ mental health
According to Gallup, younger workers are more likely to experience stress and burnout than older workers: 68% of Gen Z and younger Millennials surveyed reported stress and 34% reported burnout. But even among Baby Boomers, 40% reported feeling stressed. So putting effective mental health initiatives in place will benefit workers of all generations.
Don’t make age-based assumptions
While it’s possible to make some generalizations about different generations at work, don’t let this descend into unhelpful stereotyping. Don’t assume, for example, that older workers will be unable to get to grips with new technologies or that younger workers have less of a work ethic than their older colleagues.
Get to know your employees as individuals, discover their strengths and find out what they want from work.
The benefits of generational diversity at work
Age is often overlooked when thinking about DEI at work. According to AARP, 83% of global executives recognize that a multigenerational workforce is key to success. But 53% don’t include age in their DEI policies and only 6% have put an unbiased recruiting process in place.
A key reason that diversity in the workplace is so beneficial is knowledge sharing. The generations can learn an enormous amount from each other, with Millennials and Gen Z at work bringing in new knowledge and ideas, and baby boomers and Gen X having years of practical experience and to share.
Making this positive interaction between the generations possible is essential for a positive workplace culture and organizational success.
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