The 2020s brought on the most age-diverse workforce the world has ever seen. Millennials and Gen X make up the bulk of the workforce, at 38.6% and 34.8%, respectively, according to SHRM. Per SHRM’s research, Boomers outnumber Gen Z three to one just entering the workforce. Even the Silent Generation is still present to a lesser degree, with the two older generations approaching retirement at a far slower pace compared to the GI Generation.
Generational differences in the workplace can be a source of contention, but they can also be a valuable resource for providing exemplary service to a diverse clientele. Boomers and Gen X bring rich institutional knowledge and experience to the table, while Millennials and Gen Z bring technological proficiency and new ideas. Here’s how HR managers can devise HR strategies for generational diversity and derive the most benefits from managing multiple generations.
Characteristics of Each Generation
Baby Boomers:
Boomers are less likely to prioritize work-life balance, as it was normalized that they work long hours to support their families. While they appreciate flexibility and remote options, Boomers are more amenable to in-person work and tend to be more formal in communications. They tend to expect the same formalities from their co-workers regardless of age. As they veer from the traditional “cliff retirement” of their GI Generation parents, either out of desire to keep working or financial necessity, Boomers seek to integrate work into their personal lives, rather than view them as two separate concepts as was common in the past.
- Motivations: Accomplishing the organization’s goals above all else, passing down institutional knowledge to the next generations
- Deterrents: Rapid technological advances, different expectations in workplace communications and mannerisms
Generation X:
Being closer to the Boomers in age while also being one of the main generations who pioneered tech, Gen X clings to past norms while also embracing new modes of communication and cultural expectations. With Gen X largely outnumbering Millennials in leadership roles, many exhibit similar values and workplace expectations to Boomers, such as workplace formalities and talking on the phone instead of sending an email, but are quicker to adopt new technologies.
- Motivations: Attaining or holding onto leadership positions, meeting organizational goals, innovation
- Deterrents: Communications and values differences
Millennials:
Millennials were the first generation to grow up digitally-native as technology evolved. While a larger swath of the older end of the generation now prioritizes career advancement and leadership roles, Millennials tend to strive for work-life balance. Valuing mental health, mutual respect, and diversity, Millennials place more emphasis on flexibility and personal well-being than making sacrifices for their careers.
- Motivations: Work-life balance, social responsibility, career advancement without sacrificing too much of their personal lives
- Deterrents: Fewer opportunities for advancement, normalization of job-hopping leading to less institutional knowledge
Generation Z:
Where Millennials grew up watching technology evolve, Gen Z is the first generation that was raised completely immersed in technology and the advent of mobile-driven Internet culture. As the newest entrants to the workforce, they adamantly guard their work-life balance even more fiercely than Millennials. They take a mobile-first approach to technology and tend to judge potential employers on their social scorecards, such as the causes they support. Gen Z also brings a more casual approach to workplace communications, doubling down on Millennial efforts to do so.
- Motivations: Work-life balance, trying new ideas, adopting new technologies
- Deterrents: Entering the workforce with fewer social skills due to spending formative years in a pandemic
Best Communication Methods
Technology is an unavoidable part of most workplaces and most peoples’ daily lives today. Technology needs to be incorporated into any communications strategy to attain effective communication with all generations. How can multigenerational workplaces resolve differences in communications?
- Encourage clear communications. Lack of clarity frequently causes problems. No one can read anyone’s mind: if an employee is upset that a notice was given in a less formal way than expected, they should vocalize that feeling, and everyone can determine the best approach to use, and what to do when reality falls short of your expectations.
- Use technologies that foster openness and camaraderie. A Slack or Discord channel can be a great way for employees to build community and talk with one another while still digitally on company premises. While some generations adopt these technologies faster than others, they are fairly user-friendly across generations, and a quick training session can effectively show new users their basic functionality. Employees should feel safe asking questions and having discussions both in person and online. Feeling safe encourages collaboration and productivity.
- Employees should learn from each other’s generational differences. Whether it’s in person at a company event or digitally, employees should learn from one another. The real world is age-diverse, as are many companies’ customer bases. Older employees can learn how to connect with younger people and vice versa by simply straight up asking about each generation’s technological norms and cultural references. Institutional knowledge and new ideas alike can be shared, fostering collaboration and finding new problem-solving methods using each generation’s unique knowledge and perspectives.
HR Strategies to Make an Impact
HR strategies for generational diversity should include the following:
- More flexible work arrangements. If roles can’t be made fully remote, hybrid and flexible arrangements are the best way to foster harmony among age-diverse employees. Remote work and flexible work arrangements empower employees to engage in self-care and find better work-life balance.
- Flexible and customizable benefits, like cafeteria plans. Work itself should be flexible, but so should the benefits available to employees. While employees expect traditional benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, health insurance may not be necessary for employees insured through a spouse or who have Medicare. Paid time off benefits all employees, regardless of their reason for taking it. Cafeteria plans help attract and retain diverse talent for this reason, as their age, family status, and other attributes wouldn’t cause them to be boxed into benefits they can’t use.
- Make action plans for technology adoption. If the company plans to adopt new technology, all employees should be part of the plan. Encourage employees to ask questions or access additional resources like tutorials and training if they need it to successfully onboard a new technology. This ensures everyone has the necessary knowledge regardless of age or technological proficiency.
- Offer training programs. Training programs can bring employees up to the standard the organization requires. Older employees may need skills refreshers, and younger employees may be missing vital soft skills that weren’t taught in school or were forgotten due to coming of age in a once-in-a-lifetime event. A mix of voluntary and mandatory training sessions will teach employees what they need to know to be more effective and help bridge generational differences.
Generational differences don’t have to be a source of discord. Learning what each generation values and expects beyond their paychecks is the key to unlocking the collaboration potential across generations sharing institutional knowledge and new ideas alike. Enhance your workplace dynamics with ASAP Payroll’s tailored HR solutions—perfect for managing a multigenerational workforce. Contact us to learn more!
