Managing your Multigenerational Workforce

Change is constant, and that is true even for the workforce of an organization. The baby boomers are on the verge of retirement, while generation Y has taken up the workforce with a storm. But there is still a healthy mixture of employees that make up all the generations. And managing them can become an uphill task.

In this blog, we will be discussing how you can manage a multigenerational workforce.

What comprises the multigenerational workforce?

A workforce that consists of baby boomers (1946-1964), generation X (1965-1980), generation Y (1981-2000), and generation Z (Born after 2001) as a whole are known as the multigenerational workforce. Generation Z will soon be completing graduation and will eventually join the corporate workforce shortly.

Each generation has a different set of skills and psychological presence in an organization. They have their way of approaching and completing a task. Providing organizations with ample opportunities to achieve their goals and objective.

However, with the generation gap, situations can become challenging at a certain time. And this is where the effectiveness of your organizations’ management will come into play.

Managing a Multigenerational Workforce

Managing different sets of people from different generations is not easy; however, creating a sustainable environment is crucial for the organization’s success. Here are a few tips on creating one.

1. Stereotyping? Forget about it!

There will be different skills due to the generational gap, but that should not stereotyping the employees. The younger employees will think that the baby boomers are way too work-centric and have less technical proficiency. On the other hand, the older generation will assume that the younger generation is not loyal, way too dependent on tools, etc.

As a leader, you must maintain the balance between your employees. Stress on the importance that they need to know each other and promote understanding between them. When they establish a positive connection among themselves, it will help them bridge the gap. Please focus on the study that every generation has their comfort zone and that they need to respect that.

2. Ask Questions often

The quickest path to understanding and connecting with your workforce is by asking them the right questions. Ask questions in such a way that it does not stir up the conversation. Have a good motive behind asking a question.

Excellent and thoughtful questions can turn out to be the start of a deep conversation. It’s a way to approach them and acquire feedback about what they think of the system and what changes will benefit them.

You can practice Q&A sessions with everyone in the organization or find ways to communicate with people belonging to different generations. This will help you give more insights into their thoughts and how you can keep conflicts out of the work environment by focusing more on the problem-solving of the multigenerational workforce.

3. Encouraging Collaboration

The generational gap should not mean that they cannot be compatible with each other. As a manager, you can increase cohesion between them by encouraging collaboration. Coming from different generations means an ample amount of opportunities for them to learn something new.

Conduct sessions where they can pitch their ideologies and thoughts. This will help each generation to see the differences in the way they work. Helping everyone of them to gain new knowledge coupled with experience and wisdom. Thus, fostering collaboration in the multigenerational workforce.

4. The focus on technological aspects

Technology has always been an essential part of an organization, and it has evolved with time. Irrespective of the generation, it will keep constantly changing, which will require a quick understanding.

When we talk about technology and the multigenerational workforce, each one needs to adapt and acknowledge the change. You need to guide them and make them familiar with the situation that change is inevitable. They need to learn and relearn from scratch about all the technological changes that will affect their work.

This way, each employee in the organization, be it the baby boomer generation or generation z, will be able to upgrade their technological skills from time to time.

5. Perks and benefits for all ages

When it comes to the perks and benefits provided by any organization, every employee loves them. The multigenerational workforce that you manage does not thrive on monetary compensation alone. Along with money, extra benefits are necessary. This helps their morale and motivation levels.

It would help if you did not categorize perks based on their generation. It should be equal and enjoyed by everyone. Find benefit plans that are not biased with the age factor and are beneficial for each individual. This will not only help you retain your older employees, but it will also appeal to the younger generation. You can provide them a flexible gifting module where they can choose rewards according to their needs.

6. Equal feedback

Everyone in the corporate world has this assumption that only the millennials or Gen Z thrive for feedback. However, that should not be the case. Everyone deserves proper input regarding their work and how they can improve it in the long run.

Be specific, regular, and provide constructive feedback aiming solely at the improvement of every employee. This will significantly increase engagement levels and improve their overall performance.

Over to you!

These are just a few ideas from where you can start and build a positive network with your multigenerational workforce. You can get creative and find ways to manage them well that will benefit them and you in the long run.

Mrinmoy Rabha is a content writer and digital marketer at Vantage Circle. He is an avid follower of football and passionate about singing. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com