Introduction The extent of change that the planet has experienced over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which a lot of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These changes have touched nearly every aspect of our existence beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had [...]
Introduction
The extent of change that the planet has experienced over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which a lot of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These changes have touched nearly every aspect of our existence beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound effect on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the traits of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary world would seem foreign to businesses of the past.
An interesting problem that modern businesses face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their staff. This problem has been about for a long time, but as the needs of companies change and the skills required have evolved, the differences among workers have become more obvious.
This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which in turn prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay with the same company into their late 60′s or early 70′s, and often as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting at the board.
There is also a need for a more diverse range of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.
Problems
One of the most typical challenges that face a modern enterprise that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in each of our lives nowadays and they form a vital piece of the business puzzle.
There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and critical business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their company.
Beyond this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of worker, psychological limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of different wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse environment it is vital to make use of professional industrial shelving off of a quality supplier to keep the workforce secure.
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The Generations
The requirement to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unnecessary task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worth taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in today’s business can be separated into the following four groups:
Traditionals
Senior, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern business environment. They’re the people who were born before the Second World War, and will be in their late 60′s or early 70′s.
Their approach to industry and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make individual sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior positions within a company their views and opinions will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their decisions will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt the future success or failure of the business. This disparity between modern thinking and business influence requires management.
Baby Boomers
The Baby Boomer generation includes those born between the end of the war and the mid- 60′s, while there was a general down turn in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and are likely to form the vast majority of management jobs within a modern company.
This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented.
When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will often be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grip on modern advances in terms of technologies and business processes. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working effectively in teams, although it is often observed that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other employees.
Generation X
Members of Generation X were born between the mid- 60′s and the late- 70′s. They will be presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be distributed amongst the various tiers of management within a modern company.
Socially they grew up in extremely stressful times. Careers were an ever more important and defining part of people’s lives and this was made clear to Generation X from a very early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.
Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution influences the big picture. They will be motivated by financial benefits rather than a sense of duty because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of study and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.
Generation NeXt
This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest group of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social environment where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive marketing to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the older generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being genuinely confused about what the world wide web is, the void between the old and the new is made very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the newer organisation, problems involving technology can have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from controlling payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the work environment.
A similar principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the business. Internal business procedures are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological abilities and knowledge.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical aspects that may affect how a successful company manages its workforce in regard to age. Older generations will by and large by physically inferior to their younger counterparts, and as such they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions.
Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these roles reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical capability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who struggles with the physical side of their job.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more frequent since the widespread launch and use of computer keyboards.
The desk environment itself may create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long durations of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many additional companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working relationship between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.
If there are specific roles within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to carry out the task. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful advice that can be obtained from these events can be of great benefit to your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various scenarios.
If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a planet that has been continually changing.
Each generation is also motivated by different factors, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be used across numerous generations but it is also important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it.
Contemporary businesses have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the route to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through educated and empathetic management.
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