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Intergenerational Dynamics in Your Workforce-Challenge or Opportunity?
By Roberta Chinsky Matuson
Think
age diversity doesn't affect your workplace? Before you respond, read the
following situations and check off those that you've observed in your
organization:
* Younger workers who move on without a moment's notice (or in your case two
week's notice).
* Baby Boomers treating younger employees the way they treat their children.
* Seasoned workers constantly reminding others how things were in their day.
* Gen X'ers who appear to only be in it for themselves.
* Younger managers struggling to gain the respect of older workers who are
subordinates.
If you checked off more than one box then your organization is among the many
facing intergenerational workplace issues. Some companies actually believe
these issues will go away on their own. They operate under the premise that
older workers will retire and the younger people will mature in time to take the
leadership roles vacated by this generation. Problem solved.
Forward thinking companies understand that intergenerational conflict is here to
stay. Older workers are deferring retirement and Baby Boomers are still
climbing the corporate ladder. Gen X'ers are holding middle and senior
management roles while the youngest sector of the workforce, Millennials, are
just settling into the workforce.
Organizations that fail to understand the complexities or recognize the
opportunities associated with an intergenerational workforce may risk their
ability to stay competitive. As more companies address the issues associated
with these challenges, those not planning ahead and leveraging generational
diversity will be left scrambling.
Here are three things your organization can do today to turn this challenge into
an opportunity:
Open the box
Instead of putting people into boxes, we need to open the box to get a better
glimpse of what's inside. Provide employees with opportunities to discuss their
differences and similarities. Then focus on the commonalities. This is the
first step towards creating an environment where generational differences are
understood and appreciated.
Turn silver into gold
Mature workers are no longer opting to spend the sunshine years of their life in
the south. That's good news for those New England employers who recognize the
knowledge and experience this generation brings to the workforce. The key to
retaining this generation of employees is to provide them with opportunities to
pass along their experiences to younger workers.
Companies like Chevron, Prudential Insurance and Monsanto have established
mentoring programs to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from one generation
to another. Smaller businesses can do the same.
Training
How can we expect supervisors and managers to navigate through this complex
arena without proper guidance? Provide supervisors and managers with training
and access to consultants who can help them head off intergenerational
misunderstandings. Offer intergenerational management training as a reward to
all newly minted supervisors and managers.
Start today and you will immediately reap the benefits that occur when a company
turns a challenge into an opportunity.
Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutions (www.yourhrexperts.com)
and has been helping companies align their people assets with their business
goals. She is considered an expert in generational workforce issues. Roberta
publishes a monthly newsletter "HR Matters"
http://www.yourhrexperts.com/hrjoin.cgi which is jammed with resources,
articles and tips to help companies navigate through sticky and complicated HR
workforce issues. Click here to read her new blog on Generation Integration
http://generationintegration.typepad.com/matuson/. She can be reached at
413-582-1840 or
Roberta@yourhrexperts.com.
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