We now have four different generations in the workplace at the same time.
It is not unusual to have four generations in the workplace. What is unusual is to find them all within the same team.
Historically, as employees got older, they were separated from their younger counterparts and moved up the management ladder.
Today this is not the case. It has become increasingly common for younger managers to have team members who are older than the manager. Most teams today are made up of representatives from three if not four of the generations.
Each of the generations are different from the others. Here are just a few of the observable differences:
Baby Boomers |
Generation ‘X’ |
Millennials |
Generation ‘Z’ |
Want to be valued and respected. |
Want to be left alone until they need help |
Want constant feedback |
Demand constant feedback |
Patient and prepared to work their way up |
Patient and prepared to work their way up |
Impatient and ambitious for progression |
Impatient and ready to move both company and career as necessary |
Socially confident |
Socially competent |
Value social interaction but not confident |
Value social interaction enormously but find it problematic |
Find technology challenging |
Technologically competent |
Technologically confident |
Accept and work with technology as a fact of life |
These differences create a range of challenges for any manager of a multi-generational team including:
Managing the inter-generational workplace is something all managers will increasingly have to face.
To successfully navigate through the generational differences and create a culture of inclusions it is necessary to manage differences in:
Enrol here to attend this interactive training course, and find out what Leaders and Managers can do to manage a blended workforce spanning four generations.
Posted on February 17 2022 by Geoff Marsh
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