...and how to tackle them.
With a record 1.468 million over 65’s still working and early Gen Z’s now in their early 20’s it’s not unusual to find five generations in the workplace...The 5G workforce.
· Traditionalists. (Born before 1945)
· Baby boomers. (Born 1946 – 1964)
· Gen X. (Born 1965 – 1980)
· Millennials. (Born 1981 – 2000)
· Gen Z. (Born 2001 – 2020)
What does this mean? Well, for a number of the managers we work with its proving to be a challenge. Teams comprised of different generations see greater contrast when it comes to career goals, motivations and work expectations. Coupled with the generational stereotypes that we hear so much about; ‘Millennials are entitled and lazy’, ‘Baby boomers are set in their ways and less open to change’, “Gen Z are addicted to their phones”, managers often don’t know where to turn.
But what if we told you that generational differences do not exist in this way, that research based on age shows differences to be small. There is lots of variety of values and preferences within any of these generational groups. Individually, people may experience changes in their needs, interests, preferences and strengths over the course of their careers but sweeping generational based statements are simply not supported by the data.
So, what’s going on? Turns out that it’s not real differences between the generations but people’s belief that these differences exist. The belief drives the way in which people work with their colleagues and has an impact on how they’re managed and trained. If you’re a manager, it’s worth recognising this and addressing the underlying factors that may be causing generational stereotypes.
As well as being inclusive, unbiased and ensuring learning and benefits are suited to all, mentoring, both in the traditional sense and reverse mentoring (where a younger or newer team member mentors a senior team member) can be a great tool in breaking down inaccurate generational stereotypes.
In the end is it about understanding and embracing differences and unlocking the potential that a diverse workforce presents. We highly recommend letting go of the stereotypes and considering a mentoring scheme if you don’t already have one. If you are a candidate looking for a new role or perhaps your company does not offer this, reach out to your network. You may be surprised of the mentoring opportunities that are already in easy reach.
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