To engage with the diverse demographics in workforces you have to adopt a flexible approach to management, in order to get the best out of employees. Karen Osborn, Key Account Manager at Thales Training and Consultancy, explains.
Today’s workplace is currently going through a demographic shift the likes of which have not been seen in the majority of our lifetimes. The question facing many HR and L&D Directors is how to approach bridging the gap between the multiple generations that populate their workforce and how best to adopt a flexible approach to managing career and reward expectations. This is especially important as Generation Z, the largest generation since the Baby Boomers, starts to trickle into organisational workforces. Retaining and engaging this influx of young talent is integral to success and the inability to be mindful of the values that make them different can result in lost productivity, increased tension in the office and a turnover rate which could easily get out of hand and cost the business valuable revenue.
Each generation has grown up through particular circumstances and experiences that culminate in specific beliefs, expectations, working, and leadership styles. Briefly, these are as follows: Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964) – Team players, Indirect communicators, Duty before pleasure, Adherence to rules; Generation X (1965 – 1980) – Individualistic, Value direction, Disrespectful of authority, Focus on health and wellbeing, Personal growth Generation Y (1981 – Early 90s) – Adaptive to change, Driven by accountability, Collaborative attitude towards management, Flexible work, Goal orientated, Money-driven Generation Z (Early 90s) – Diversity, Technologically savvy, Unhealthy, Trusting of authority, Benefits-driven, Connected 24/7.
Generation Z are the ‘digital natives’, and many of its members have been using communication technologies for the whole of their lives. Instant messaging, continual on-line access, text messaging, mobile phones, all of these methods of communicating are central to this group and being online 24/7 comes naturally to them. This ‘always connected’ mentality can be hard for the individualistic older generations to grasp, and conflicts with the rigidity of ethics and work hours that they feel so comfortable with. With such connectivity comes shorter attention spans. Access to anything and everything can undervalue the meaning of those tasks that do take a long time and require more intensive effort. Boredom can set in relatively easily, especially if the work they are given doesn’t have any immediate meaningful value. Managers need to take note of this and find methods of keeping their young employees engaged in their work. Simply exerting your authority on the situation could be a very dangerous path to tread.
Unlike older generations, whose lifestyle can dictate that they build a well-defined career devoted to working at a few select companies, political messaging and brand loyalty ranks low on the Generation Z radar. Whilst respectful and trusting of authority, they are generally confident yet have a relative lack of skills for dealing with difficult and forceful managers. This, combined with a lack of specific corporate loyalty, could result a higher incidence of resignations from this group which naturally has a financial impact on the employers. Generation X, who pride themselves on their adaptability and independence, has an expectation of work experience from their new employees that may clash with Generation Z, who by contrast believe that their degrees and other qualifications are at least as valuable as experience. Managers need to be more conscious of the fact that their youngest employees haven’t necessarily had the exposure to different working environments that they had, and therefore need to develop strategies specifically for Generation Z that focus on personalised and customised learning environments.
Surprisingly, unlike Generation Y whose career choices are driven primarily by competitive salaries, the same may not be true of Generation Z. In the current economic conditions, few young people currently own property and therefore don’t have the burden of having to pay off a mortgage, and the likelihood of property ownership remaining mainstream is reducing. Both of these elements are generally considered one of the most compelling reasons to earn bigger salaries. For this group, benefits and work life balance are far more important factors. For example, flexible working is high on their agenda and not being forced to work in a 9 to 5 window appeals to their more mobile lifestyle. A mobile lifestyle it may be in name, but not necessarily in practice. The digital natives are notoriously sedentary and this could well be a ticking time bomb that many organisations aren’t currently mitigating for. HR Directors need to ensure they facilitate the needs of Generation Z. Given that this generation is likely to have a lower life expectancy coupled with rising retirement ages is something that needs to be considered strategically. For example, gym memberships and health insurance may become a more attractive benefit than, for instance, a work travel scheme. With regard to career expectations, the younger generations have a belief that they will be promoted based on successfully delivering results, whereas the Baby Boomers and Generation X expect to be rewarded based on dedication and lengthy service. One has to be careful not to alienate older workers by promoting inexperienced employees on results alone.
Management has traditionally been a very linear process where order is arbitrarily imposed from above but, as more generations join the workplace, the need to implement a range of different management and learning styles to reflect varying generational behaviours is becoming imperative. Generational context is now an incredibly important part of an L&D manager’s ability to communicate and train effectively; it is an integral diversity component. The common thread that bridges the generational gap is the desire to develop skills knowledge and behaviours that lead to a fulfilling career. Obviously, every person has multiple facets to their personality and there will always be are those that buck their respective generational trend yet generally, information and training advice needs to be made appropriate to the generational perspective of your employees such that a constructive, interesting and fulfilling relationship is fostered. It’s important to maintain an equilibrium of multiple learning techniques, including face to face training which remains central to the success of L&D whatever the generation, yet actively consider a far more blended approach including e-platforms, to suit the more on-line needs and requirements of the newer generations. It’s a fine balancing act, but those who embrace and perfect it, will see good retention rates resulting in lower recruitment costs moving forward.
