For the first time in the modern age, we have five generations present in the workplace. Millennials account for more than 15% of the global labor force. – Forbes, 2017
With five generations currently working in the labor force, HR department faces the challenge of how to manage multigenerational employees. Generational differences bring diversity in the workplace, which is a good sign. However, it also creates obstacles regarding working styles, communication, and respect, not all managers can handle. Learning to lead effectively and motivate different generational differences is the only way out, which not only presents opportunities for companies but also makes them more competitive. Here, HR departments need to take care that with each generation, different types of workflows are operating. Failing to meet every generation’s needs may result in disengaged employees and high turnover.
Therefore, keep the right strategies and tools in place to navigate the challenges brought on board by this multi-generation cohort working together.
To make your multi-generational workforce competent and dynamic, the first step should be – to coach your leaders and managers, who are already juggling the competitive demands of diverse generations and keeping them motivated and productive. Easier said than done! So, it is advisable to seek professional courses that will offer your managers and supervisors expert insights and tools to develop strategies to manage talent across generations. After completion of leadership skills development training, your managers will be able to:
When it comes to communication, the preferences of generations are poles apart. On one hand, traditionalists favor formal communication through proper channels; on other hand, millennials like casual and direct communication. Likewise, Gen X prefer to develop a personal relationship with their co-workers. To ensure that every generation works in collaboration, introduce solutions that include every kind of communication channel that allow everyone a quicker response time with more frequent feedback. Another smart way is instructing your managers to ask their team members the preferred methods of communication that can work effectively amongst their teams.
When it comes to balancing work and life, there are differences in the generations – Gen X value work/life balance while millennials prefer to blend personal life into work. To tackle this, employers may allow flexible workdays. It enables different generation of workforce to balance their work-life as per their preferences. Some employees work longer hours from Monday to Friday while others like a better personal life on weekends even if it means working out of hours. Inability to accommodate the diverse preferences of your workforce could result in the loss of some talented employees, considering the fact that 33% employees have left their job at least once in their lifetime because it didn’t offer work flexibility. It is possible to make every generation happy by offering them the freedom to pick up their workdays and schedule.
Employers should ensure that their workplace policies fit the demographics of their workforce. It includes employee benefits and programs and perks, like health benefits, retirement places, paid parental leave, or subsidized childcare. Each generation values different things in their benefits package, for example, baby boomers value salary, health insurance, and retirement plan; while Gen X value job security and advancement within the company.
Of course, it is not easy to fulfill everyone’s wishes. You can examine self-service tools that help employees access their benefits. Take help of technology when making benefit choices and leverage their advantages. Though the generation-characteristics are based on common threads, don’t forget that every employee is unique. In fact, based on your workforce’s diverse choice, you can create a tailored benefit package for each age group. However, while doing this, be cautious to stay away from any chance of discrimination based on gender, race, or age. You can also adopt tiered benefit packages as these tiers could help you map various age ranges.
Avoiding stereotypes and implementing strategies to manage diverse generations at workplace can lead to innovation and better collaboration. After all, a rich blend of generations within your organization boosts workplace culture and productivity and contributes to your company’s success.
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