By Sheila Anderson-Cousins |
September 8, 2011
The generation gap. It is a source of conflict between parents and their kids (“when I was your age I walked five miles to school, uphill, in a snowstorm”); it is a topic of conversation among peers (“can you believe the new grads these days?”); it causes each of us at some point, to scratch our heads and mutter under our breath in frustration! Face it, the generation gap has been around for years and it’s not going anywhere.
Luckily, some employers are beginning to sit up and take notice of how these gaps are reflected in the workplace. More than just a minor annoyance, these gaps can significantly affect the engagement and productivity of employees. Worse still, unless addressed, there will be serious consequences for succession planning and long term stability of the workforce as baby boomers retire.
I recently read an article highlighting research into the values and characteristics of each of the four generations at play in today’s society: Mature Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millenials. At first glance, the differences are substantial. But there are some important commonalities among all four groups as well. Work/life balance, interesting work, a good salary, benefits, flexible hours and supportive supervision all made the “top ten list” of workplace priorities for each generation.
Today’s leaders must consider the attributes of all groups that make up their workforce when planning their organizational design and development strategy. By building on the common values and embracing the differences (e.g., the benefit of fresh new ideas from the millenials combined with the experience and maturity of the boomers), organizations can gain an advantage from this blending of the years.
How is your organization bridging the gap? You’d be wise to take steps now to ensure your generation gap doesn’t grow into an abyss.
If you’d like to learn more about the generational research, visit www.gencareershift.ca.