Many companies are now comprised of a wide mix of generations with employees from five different generations now common as employees work further into older age. So as a manager, how can you go about managing a multigenerational workforce?
Multigenerational Workforce, Examples & Solutions
Leading a diverse workforce and dealing with workplace generational differences can be especially interesting given the range of unique skills and experience that the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, bring to the workplace. So let’s look below at 7 common issues and some solutions to managing a multigenerational workforce.
1. Different Communication Styles
One of the most common issues when managing multiple generations in the workplace is the difference in their communication styles.
Although not true for everyone, in general though, Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are more likely to prefer face-to-face communication or phone calls.
Millennials and Gen Z on the other hand are often more comfortable with communicating using instant messaging platforms such as Slack, MS Teams, and social media (such as Instagram).
Misunderstandings and frustrations can arise when different employees prefer these different communication options and when this results in less effective communication.
Solutions
Establish clear guidelines – One of the best ways to get around this mismatch of communication options is to set clear expectations for your team (and company) for how you wish them to communicate in various situations.
Encourage adaptation: Older employees might be slower to embrace options such as Slack and using instant messaging i.e. on MS Teams. You could promote a culture where employees are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and adapt to different communication methods.
2. Contrasting Approaches to Technology
We have clearly grown up differently as generations when it comes to using technology.
Go back only 30 years and website design was a relatively new thing, emails were used but not by everyone, iPads were not something people had, smartphones did not exist mass market, and the idea of Facebook, Instagram, and Slack were yet to evolve.
The Millennials and Generation Z generations though have pretty much grown up in the technological age and it is second nature for many younger employees.
For older generations such as the Baby Boomers and Generation X, these technologies are something we’ve not naturally grown up with and this can be the cause of friction in the workplace.
Gen Z and Millennials, having grown up with the internet, smartphones, and social media, are often seen as tech-savvy and considered to be quicker at adopting these new technologies.
It is of course the truth also though that many older employees bring with them decades of experience and knowledge of how these technologies have evolved and have a great understanding of systems design and architecture, for example.
Solutions
Promote peer learning: The fact that some new young employees are tech-savvy means a great chance for us to offer reverse mentoring in the workplace.
Through reverse mentoring, older employees can get useful tech training, while the younger employees gain recognition for their skills and respect from their elders.
These elders often also end up bringing their own knowledge and wisdom and reverse mentoring can often create a very positive bond between employees.
Use user-friendly tools: There are many choices when it comes to implementing technology in the workplace and some are more intuitive than others.
Try to choose options that are intuitive and easy for employees of all generations to adopt.
Offer targeted training: There are of course many much older employees who are also very tech savvy and some young employees who have little interest in social media, smartphones, and other technologies.
With this in mind, consider offering IT training that is open to all so that employees can fill the gap in their IT skills, specific to their understanding and existing knowledge.
3. Diverging Work-Life Balance Expectations
The way in which a work-life balance is seen now compared with 20 to 30 years ago is quite a contrast and this can be reflected in the approach of employees.
Baby Boomers and Gen X often still have the concept of putting the hours in and working longer hours to show commitment.
Many Millennials and Gen Z, in a world where mental health is better understood and valued, place a higher value on flexible work arrangements, remote work options, and factoring in a work-life balance.
These different approaches can sometimes create conflict between employees of different generations in the workplace.
Solutions
Consider offering flexible work options: Hybrid styles of working are arguably the future and way forward and there are numerous benefits to offering hybrid working as a company.
Consider offering all employees flexible working hours and a certain amount of time/days where they can work remotely.
Ensure though that all employees understand the criteria for remote work, flexible hours, or other perks so that flexibility is seen as fair.
Create a results-driven culture: Putting more emphasis on work outcomes and results, as opposed to the focus being primarily on hours worked.
This approach can help satisfy all age groups and their ways of thinking, allowing younger workers flexibility in terms of work hours and remote working, while reassuring older workers that productivity is prioritized.
4. Conflicting Ideas About Loyalty
There is undoubtedly a much higher interest in changing jobs for younger employees compared to many years ago, such as in the 1950s to 1990s when the concept of a job for life was far more common.
Company loyalty was important for many Baby Boomers and some Gen X employees.
The world though has become far more fluid in terms of change, meaning that change now occurs much more often and quickly.
For Millennials and Gen Z, changing jobs and what is termed job-hopping are now common, and greater importance is placed on professional growth and career mobility.
These conflicting views on loyalty and development can lead to tension when it comes to staff retention and promotion.
Solutions
Create personalized career development plans: Meet with all employees as a manager to develop personalized career paths that align with their values.
For example, an employee in the Baby Boomer age range might benefit greatly from a mentorship or leadership opportunity, while a younger employee might place greater value on upskilling and faster advancement.
Offer diverse benefits: If possible, provide a mix of benefits that appeal to different generations, such as tuition reimbursement, professional development courses, or leadership training for younger employees, while offering retirement planning or long-term incentives for older workers.
Foster mentorship programs: Consider offering a cross-generational mentorship program where experienced workers are able to share knowledge with younger employees. In return, younger employees can provide fresh perspectives and this can help foster mutual understanding and loyalty across generations.
5. Varying Feedback Preferences
The way in which feedback is given and expected can also vary quite a bit between generations.
Baby Boomers and Gen Xers often expect formal, structured feedback in the form of annual performance reviews, because that in the past was a fairly common approach.
Millennials and Gen Z are often used to less frequent and more informal feedback sessions and the differences between different generations and their preferences can create friction.
This is especially so when feedback is given too rarely or informally for some employees’ liking.
Solutions
Tailor feedback to the individual: One of the best ways to deal with feedback in part is to adapt it to each employee’s needs because some employees prefer to receive direct and honest feedback, whilst others need treating more carefully and it is best to provide more detailed feedback with more help.
As a manager building trust and the best possible work relationship you can with each employee in part means being adaptable as a leader and working to the strengths and needs of your team.
In this sense, some employees will prefer and appreciate casual feedback face-to-face, while others might prefer a written report, and others quick messages.
Promote a feedback culture: Try to encourage open dialogue within your team by creating a team culture where everyone feels included and able to be involved.
One part of this is to be open as a manager to also receive feedback.
6. Resistance to Change
Different generations often have quite different attitudes towards change.
Gen Z and Millennials have largely grown up with constant technological change and as a result, they often have no problem and in fact embrace new technologies and innovation.
In contrast, not all, but many Baby Boomers and Gen X are often more hesitant to technological change, often preferring stability and technologies they are used to.
This resistance to change can slow down initiatives or cause tension within teams. You might perhaps work or have worked with someone who says something along the lines of, “We’ve always done things this way so why change”.
Solutions
It is always worth highlighting and making clear what the benefits of any change are.
Why and how will it improve things and how can it benefit the team? And what support will you offer them to help them, i.e. what training or mentoring?
You might also want to consider engaging your employees from all generations in discussions about upcoming changes.
When people feel heard and able to be involved in some way in the decision-making process, they are often more supportive of change.
7. Generational Stereotyping and Bias
In this post, in talking about strategies for managing a multigenerational workforce, I have generalized for the sake of trying to explain some of the differences between the different age groups and generations in order to highlight some solutions and approaches to helping all employees work better together.
It is important though to try and avoid stereotypes and biases about different generations to avoid division in the workplace.
The idea, for example, that Baby Boomers might be seen as resistant to new technology, is not always true of course as many baby boomers might love working with new technologies.
Solutions
Promote generational awareness through training: You might wish to consider providing managers with training on how to manage different generations in the workplace.
There are different approaches as a manager regards how to manage cross-generationally diversity.
Build an inclusive culture: Also try to encourage collaboration and communication between different generations by setting up cross-generational teams and projects.
Focus on strengths, not age: As a manager, always remember and consciously focus on the strengths and skills employees have and try to block out their generational background. This reduces the likelihood of stereotypes influencing decisions.
Managing a Multigenerational Workforce Example
Retail Store Staff Training and Development
In a retail store, the employees include people from Gen Z cashiers to Baby Boomer supervisors, with Gen X and Millennial sales associates in between.
During the holiday season, the store needs to onboard several seasonal hires quickly while keeping morale high.
Situation: Younger staff members, especially Gen Z, prefer digital and on-the-go training modules, while older staff members like hands-on, face-to-face training sessions to fully understand procedures.
Additionally, Baby Boomer and Gen X employees often bring more experience and insight, which could benefit the younger staff, but they struggle to connect in a fast-paced environment.
Solution: The store manager decides to create a hybrid training program.
Initial onboarding involves a brief in-person training led by seasoned Baby Boomer employees, followed by a mobile-friendly digital module for detailed instructions that younger employees can complete at their own pace.
To encourage team bonding and cross-generational knowledge sharing, the manager organizes weekly “training check-ins,” where new hires can ask questions and experienced staff can share tips and advice.
Result: The hybrid training approach accommodates both generations’ preferences and builds camaraderie across age groups.The seasonal staff quickly becomes proficient, reducing errors and improving customer service, while the experienced employees feel valued for their contributions, enhancing job satisfaction across the team.
Leading a Multigenerational Workforce Training
As you have probably gathered from this post, leading a diverse workforce is difficult because we have to manage employees from many different backgrounds, with vastly different experiences, of different abilities and disabilities, and as we’ve discussed in this post, different ages and generations.
If you are a human resources manager looking to provide training for staff then the training and teaching materials below are designed specifically to provide workshops to managers and team leaders or managing different generations:
>> Training & Teaching Materials for Managing a Multigenerational Workforce
Paul is Co-Founder of Symonds Research and is a qualified researcher with a PhD in wayfinding. Paul helps the team at Symonds Research build and focus on providing high-quality training materials packages and programs for trainers, classroom teachers and HR departments.