Across the Generations: How to help your multi-generational workforce excel

As of 2023, there are five different generations coexisting in the workplace: Traditionalists, Baby boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z – that is, an age range which ranges from 16 to 75, covering vastly different life experiences, perspectives and skills.

When we think about diversity and all its facets, we can’t dismiss the age aspect. Generational diversity can be a competitive advantage that can help your business both internally and externally, from creating a more diverse and knowledgeable work environment to being able to communicate more efficiently with a diverse pool of clients.

Still, different generations in the workplace might sound like an issue for some companies. Can younger employees communicate effectively with older colleagues and collaborate efficiently? Well, generational conflicts are a natural reality, but by understanding how everyone’s strengths and challenges can be complimentary, it is easy to find a common ground.

In this instalment of our ‘Building an ED&I Ecosystem’ series, you will find out what the most common workplace generational conflicts are and how a multi-generational workforce can strengthen your organisation.

Navigating generational conflicts and communication styles

As different age groups coexist in the workplace, it is normal to experience generational conflicts, meaning those issues which arise when different values and beliefs clash. Different age groups have different characteristics shaped by their formative experiences, the global context into which they were born and raised, and formed opinions throughout life that will impact their work style and behaviours.

Some common examples of generational conflicts are:

• Choosing where to work: office or remote work?
• Work-life balance: 9-5 or flexible work?
• Communicating with team members: phone calls or instant messages?
• Performing work: paper-based or digital?

Two different individuals in your team can have completely different answers to the questions above, and if they work together, it might be hard to agree on the norms that will work for all, which can lead to stress and even a lack of collaboration if not managed properly.

Consider this scenario: An older team manager chooses to work from the office five days a week between the hours of 9am-5pm. They don’t find software like Teams or Skype easy to navigate so they prefer all meetings to take place in person and ask that all edits being done to a document be written on a physical copy, rather than on a digital PDF. For a particular project, they need to work with a young graphic designer within the business. This designer prefers to work remotely, because at home they have two monitors and all the software they need for design projects. Also, as an introvert, they prefer the quiet of home working which allows them to concentrate on the projects they need to complete. Everything they work on is digital and they find it difficult to make sense of handwritten notes as everyone has different handwriting and it takes a long time to understand what someone has written.

Can you see how this situation is ripe with generational differences, which could cause difficulties? To get the best out of these employees, it is important that businesses take the initiative to build a culture that allows for differences to co-exist and provide tools to bridge the gap and help employees of different generations, with different working styles, work together.

Beyond the age gap: how to implement a multi-generational workforce successfully

According to the Centre for Ageing Better, Ageism is extremely prevalent in the UK – in fact, a higher proportion of British adults have reported experiencing prejudice based on their age (26%) than on any other characteristic.

Rather than judging people based on their age or viewing generational differences as obstacles, organisations can leverage these biases to foster innovation, collaboration, and decision making. This can be achieved if companies create initiatives for their employees to:

1. Learn

Stereotypes such as ‘Gen Zs are always glued to their phones and social media’ or ‘the older generation can’t use new technologies’ are assumptions that reveal pre-judgment and lack of healthy communication and understanding between different generations. Workshops that bring team members together to listen to each other, find solutions collaboratively, understand their differences and share their skills and expertise are a good starting point.

Think about the situation detailed above. If before work on the project kicked off a conversation took place to outline how each team member prefers to work, common ground and compromises could be found which would go a long way towards ensuring the project’s success and team members’ happiness.

2. Connect

Mentoring programs can foster knowledge sharing, teamwork and skill development, but it is also an effective way to bridge the generational gap. Mentorship can also be a great tool in promoting mutual understanding and increased job satisfaction. Encourage your employees to mentor each other on their chosen areas of expertise which are beneficial for the business.

Don’t forget that a mentor doesn’t always have to be the older individual. Encourage older employees to seek out a younger mentor who may be able to help them understand how younger colleagues operate and communicate. This may also help them find new ways of working they haven’t considered before that could boost their own happiness and productivity.

3. Mix

It’s curious but generational conflicts can only be ‘solved’ if different generations can interact and learn from each other. Any type of segregation is never the answer. Having multi-generational teams that are clear about the purpose of the organisation and working together towards a common goal can help them create a sense of community and naturally identify how their different skills can work well together and even enhance their professional development.

It is key to recognise that each generation has its strengths - Baby Boomers may offer experience and wisdom, Generation X may bring a pragmatic mindset, Millennials may contribute tech-savvy innovation, and Generation Z may provide fresh perspectives. Hence there is no disadvantage when colleagues of different ages learn how to work together and complement each other.

Adecco is a proud employer that hires people across different age groups, both as part of our internal recruitment process as well as for our clients, and this effort spans from early-careers roles to more senior placements. This expertise, aligned with our strong commitment to ED&I, encouraged us to create the ‘Across the Generations’ workshop for our clients. This interactive session covers the different characteristics of each generation active in the workplace, activities to promote understanding and awareness, recommendations for managers on how best to maximise their teams’ collaboration and a set of best practices based on our expertise of the market.

If you would like to learn more about our workshop, and how Adecco can support you in leveraging the strengths of your team to unlock their full potential, get in touch with our team today.

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