From grandma to grandkid, the Beatles to Beyonce, leisure suits to athleisure wear, and highballs to seltzers, there are differences in the workplace.
It’s likely you have the generations to prove it — employees from 78 down to 18.
And in between those Beatle-loving, highball-drinking baby boomers and Beyonce-obsessed, seltzer-chugging Gen Zers are the other generations at work: Gen X and Millennials.
Here’s the breakdown of the generations working full-time, based on Glassdoor research:
- baby boomers (born 1946-1964): 17.3 million
- Gen X (born 1965-1980): 42.8 million
- millennials (born 1981-2000): 49.5 million, and
- Gen Z (born 2001-2020): 17.1 million.
Misunderstanding Between Generations at Work
While we can joke about their different tastes in music, fashion and cocktails, the disparities in age can cause misunderstandings and biases that lead to losses in productivity and morale.
Regardless of the generation you’re in, you’ve likely heard the seemingly innocuous stereotypes that can break down relations: Gen Z thinks it knows everything – and won’t listen, millennials don’t want to work hard, Gen X wants to be left alone and baby boomers are to blame for everything that’s wrong today!
But we can’t operate on stereotypes.
“It’s important to create a working environment that suits all generations and the lifestyles that come with those,” say experts at Sefe in their generational research and analysis. “Bringing together different generations in harmony across the business can ensure each individual thrives.”
Now’s the time to build bridges between the generations at work. Here are four strategies:
Emphasize Each Gen’s Value
Let’s flip the switch on those stereotypes and look at each generation for the value they bring to the workforce.
For instance, boomers and Gen X — your longer tenured employees — bring history and institutional knowledge, plus maturity to handle the ever-changing work world.
On the other end, millennials and Gen Z — the younger employees — are often more digital savvy and can give new insight on the growing customer segments and how to attract them through social media.
“Different generations of employees can value and appreciate the unique perspectives each brings to the workplace and learn from each other,” says Mark Royal, a senior client partner at Korn Ferry, in the company blog.
Build More ‘Mixed Teams’
In your department or across functions, build more teams with members of different generations. They have lots to learn from each other, and they bring different perspective.
“Not only does this boost socializing through the ages, but it is also reflected through a boost in productivity and revenue,” the Sefe experts found.
When teams meet, give them time to chat or eat informally so they can build relationships beyond business.
Create Mentorship Opportunities
Go beyond the traditional workplace mentoring when a veteran employee shows a new, younger employee the ropes. Pair people so they can both learn from each other. That may still mean putting a tenured employee with a newer employee, but you’ll want to give both “mentoring” roles — ways each can share knowledge and know-how.
“By making this a cross-generational effort, colleagues can offer unique perspectives to each other,” the Sefe experts shared. “Don’t fall into the trap of stereotyping that people of older age are automatically wiser and therefore assume the role of mentor. Both people in the partnership could represent the mentor at different stages.”
Create Opportunities to Talk
Generational differences — the years and environments people grew up in — create misunderstandings and resentment in the workplace.
Let’s look at one example the Korn Ferry pros laid out: Several Gen Zers are working in a conference room shoulder to shoulder, each wearing large headphones. A group of baby boomers walks in, aghast at the sight. They all mumble under their breaths about how the others are acting.
In reality, the Gen Zers are used to headphones to block out others so they concentrate on their work. And the boomers are worried the client might show up at any moment and be ignored by the young team.
Both are legitimate workplace behaviors, actions and thoughts. But if members of different generations don’t share why they do what they do, there’s a lot of room for misunderstandings and some unnecessary chastising.
Encourage employees to talk about their approaches to work and why it works for them. In the end, they might end up sharing some across-the-generations best-practices!
Get My Free Resources
