The generation gap is not new. Boomers consider Steve Jobs to be a cult. Millennials, also known as Generation Y, idolize Mark Zuckerberg. The older generation receives news through print newspapers and cable television, while digital enthusiasts see Twitter as a reliable source of news.
This clash of demographics is currently penetrating the workforce, and companies are facing the challenge of integrating three generations into one office space. Learn how to bring together three generations of employees for the most effective work, and also why it is important to attract millennials to the team.
Intergenerational interaction
A violation occurs when companies convert their business from analog to digital. The jobs of nearly one-third of the US workforce, that is, about fifty million people, can be transformed by 2020 thanks to technology, and digitalization covers much more than physical labor. Assets, including infrastructure and data platforms, as well as operations, such as customer and supply chain processes, are also being transformed.
Different generations must work together to accept the digital imperative, otherwise companies will lag behind in a rapidly changing economy. The influence of the boomer generation on the workflow is still great, but it is decreasing. In the 80s, it was they who made up the bulk of the country's workforce, but now more and more representatives of this generation are retiring each year.
Generation Y skills fit seamlessly into the new digital world of business. More than a third of the current workforce is millennials, making them the most basic generation of the workforce and a key component of a successful company.
The non-profit organization “Labor Opportunity Service”, founded in 2005, is engaged in the development of unused talents in partnership with organizations that diversify their workforce.
The company's mission is to successfully integrate Generation Y into an aging and growing workforce. Creating harmony between generations and successfully integrating the millennium into the workforce is the key to maintaining and increasing productivity in all sectors.
It is necessary to take a step towards a balance between work and personal life
Attracting and retaining talent depends on the adoption of a modernized work environment and changed management styles. The average age of a typical CEO is currently 50 years old.
The older generation deeply respects the team chain and is very respectful to employers. For them, the balance between work and personal life is strongly biased towards long hours of work in the office. They are used to working on a typical schedule from 9 to 17.
Millennials do not tolerate hierarchical promotion policies. They resign almost twice as often as the older generation. As a rule, this is due to the fact that promotion is not fast enough. The new generation is definitely not happy with this. Representatives of the digital generation greatly appreciate the balance between work and personal life. They think that work is a space, not a place.
Deloitte Research
A recent study by Deloitte's international network of consulting and audit services showed that 88 percent of millennials would like to be able to change their work hours. 75 percent of young people would like more flexibility to work from home or from other places where they feel comfortable and productive.
As Generation Y becomes a key workforce, senior management must adapt to new realities.
Mobility plays an important role.
Nowadays, one of the main career priorities for the younger generation is ever-increasing mobility. A tight work environment is bad for integrating and retaining new talent. It is necessary to give them sufficient responsibility and freedom. This includes creating an environment that appreciates autonomy and has a clear path for an upward trajectory. This last point is especially important.
The boomer generation does not need approval or a definite path forward. Millennials need it. Show them that there is a way up. Make them a plan for one or two years with a detailed description of how they can move up the career ladder.
Step forward and transfer knowledge
It’s high time for the older generation to act as mentors. When it comes to understanding all the key issues of a company, it is disastrous to disregard a generation that is just starting its career.
In preparation for retirement, people who have spent more than 30 years working in a company must pass on their invaluable knowledge to the younger generation.
Conclusion
The more complex the organization, the more important the transfer of knowledge from one generation to another. Millennials are very capable and well trained if they are provided with the necessary tools and all the important information.
They have all the necessary skills that meet the needs of modern business. They will direct organizations through the digital revolution to successful and long-term work.
But if companies do not use all the knowledge that is unique to each generation, they will not be able to fully realize their potential and will be less competitive in today's market.
