DH Advisor

Introduction

The degree of change that the world 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 striking.

One part of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business world. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary arena would seem foreign to businesses of the past.

An interesting problem that modern companies face is how to handle the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce.

This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world nations, which consequently 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 sometimes 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 quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a new way of thinking.

Problems

One of the most typical problems that face a modern enterprise that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in each of our lives nowadays and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle.

There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are being created all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business. This can be said of sales and promotional channels that have emerged with the rise of the Web.

Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied.

The best distribution companies around utilise industrial shelving for capacity and organisational purposes.

The Generations

The need to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of.

Traditionals

Mature, 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 business and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured under the shadow of an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.

Since many of the mature generation will hold senior positions within a company their views and beliefs 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.

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 decline in the birth rate around the globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and probably form the vast majority of management roles within a contemporary business.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented.

When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grip on modern developments in terms of technologies and business procedures. 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 constructive) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other workers.

Generation X

Members of Generation X were born between the mid- 60’s and the late- 70’s. They will be currently aged between 30 and 45 and will be distributed amongst the various levels 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 pointed out to Generation X from a very young age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two companies. They are expected to work long and hard hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have jobs.

Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by monetary 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 effective contribution to the company.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born after 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 seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.

Modern materials and manufacturing processes offer a greater selection of molded and coloured storage bins for affordable rates therefore are a popular choice facing storage space.

The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the older generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly confused about what the world wide web is, the void between the old and the new becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.

In regards to the newer business, issues involving technology might have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the technologies being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many areas of the corporation.

The same principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the important functions of the organisation. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological abilities and understanding.

Physical limitations

There are clear physical factors that may affect how a successful company manages its workers in regard to age. Elderly generations will by and large by physically inferior to their younger counterparts, and as such they will be less suited to roles that involve physical exertions.

Fortunately, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these roles reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical ability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any employee who battles with the physical side of their job.

Modern ailments

Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common since the widespread introduction and use of computer keyboards.

The desk environment itself can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any specific workstation are not good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long periods of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the human body.

Our local supplier of office chairs astounded me with their knowledge on office chairs, I thought an office chair was just an office chair and I didn’t realise there were different types of chairs for specific tasks. Contact the company directly at www.tjhall.co.uk to get advice and information about what is right for you.

Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned several new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they are.

If there are specific roles within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to perform the job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational management.

There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of helpful advice that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to an organisation.

There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.

If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Utilising their services could be the most recommended way to address your corporate circumstances.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find that it is hard to work collectively. They have grown up in different times and learnt about a planet that has been constantly changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the language used for communication, but matters of manners as well as etiquette.

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 applied across numerous generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The company must do what is optimum for its own success.

Contemporary organisations 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- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly - through informed and empathetic management.