Inter Generational Employee Differences – How to Bridge the Gap

While your human resources are consisted of multi generational employees, a broader management approach is required to bridge the generation gap for more efficient working environment and better working relationship.

WHO (why) THEY ARE

The main 4 generations might be defined roughly by the years of births and their way of communication and their working perspective. Obviously the generations have some overlaps.

1. Senior Generation - born during or before WWII.
2. Veterans (BBs) – ~ 1946-1964, Baby Boomers, born after WWII. Called Baby boomers following the increase in birth rate during this period. Boomers are tended to avoid discussions and planning for their demise, and avoid much long-term planning.
3. Generation X (Gen X) – ~ 1961-1981, following a book with this name - generation members were born after the baby boom ended. They were affected by a sense of economic uncertainty and a reduced expectation of long term fidelity between employers and employees. They are better educated than the Baby Boomers and in the workplace, this generation values freedom and responsibility. Gen X is micro-management resistant.
4. Generation Y (Gen Y) - ~ 1980-2004, AKA the Millennial Generation, Generation Next or Net Generation. The rise of instant communication technologies made possible through use of the internet, such as email, chats and new media affected this generation. They are perceived as peer-oriented due to easier facilitation of communication through technology.

CHARACTERISTICS (how they are)

1. Seniors – today they are 68 or more yrs old. Known to be conservative, cautious, with high loyalty to their workplace. Accept and respect hierarchical authority.
2. Baby Boomers – today they are about 50-67 yrs old. Described as egocentric, strive to independence and development of self capabilities. They are committed to their work place, and see it as a place for self-fulfillment. They highly value themselves and valued by their environment.
3. Gen X – today they are about 29-50 yrs old. The members of this generation grew up as latchkey children. On this ground they developed independence which characterized in direct expression of their wills. They do not hesitate to quit work as a result of dissatisfaction and their loyalty to workplace is relatively low.
4. Gen Y – today they are about 6-30 yrs old. For this generation the family is source of confidence, safety and support. This generation was born into multi cultural actuality and high level technology and communication. They seek interest and involvement, team work, and strive to partner. They are in continuous action, and easily adopt environmental changes and developments.

BRIDGING THE GAP (what to do)

To settle the working relationships within a group/team/company there are three main layers of required managerial intervention:

1. Training and motivation.
2. Communication.
3. Conflict resolution.

Training and motivation

In order to increase the motivation of every generation, the manager has to implement various methods of training. For example, the senior generation is recommended to be formally guided and provided with direct action instructions, so they will be able to improve their performance.

Baby boomers prefer eye level communication and the manager should take advantage of their personal experience for the internalization of change. Gen X would prefer a more equitable environment in which they could demonstrate their personal capabilities. Gen Y expects training and guidance more than any other generations. They are target oriented but they need guidance, working plan and orientation.

Communication

The way of dealing with differences between the generations is the development of flexibility in interpersonal communication styles and adjusting it to different generations:

Communication with the seniors - should be built on trust, and preferably on hand writing media, rather than communication associated with new technology. The Baby boomers will prefer open, direct and less formal communication. Group discussions through staff meetings are desirable. They feel comfortable with technology like emails and mobile phones. Gen X gets bored at long meetings and look for quick decision making. They are comfortable with the communication technology. Gen Y which has grown into emails and chats, will be frustrated if they do not receive quick response. New media technology is a good way to communicate with this generation. Unlike the Gen X, they enjoy staff meetings and attend them since this is one more communication channel. As a group they read less and thus distribution of written long brochures and procedures is less effective. Therefore, in order to disseminate and assimilate the procedures among this generation, it is preferred to organize staff meetings where written material, sent earlier, is discussed.

Conflict resolution

Behavioral and attitude differences are potentially to become a substantial conflict. The main conflict is between Baby boomers and Gen X. The main reasons for such conflict lay in the differences of how they accept innovation and new media communication tools, their loyalty to work and perception of responsibility.

Management strategies applied in the past, do not benefit nowadays, as generations change. So it is important to make the stuff to be aware of the generation gap, and also about acceptance, mutual respect and sensitivity. These values are the key to comfortable working environment, where all opinions are legitimate. Respect is a basic ethical foundation of proper working relationships.

Photo source: Eric Danley