‘Every generation blames the one before it and all of their frustrations come beating on your door.’ So said Generation-X social commentators of the 1980s, Mike and The Mechanics. Although they also said ‘Take the children and yourself and hide out in the cellar’… so maybe you should take their preachings with a pinch of salt.
And yet, there is a lot of finger pointing when it comes to different generations that are now employed around the world. For the first time ever in our working lives, there are four generations of humans in the workforce. Whilst this provides organisations with fantastic opportunities for coaching and mentoring, the reality is, that many working cultures have never felt more divided.
Different ways of communicating, expectations around flexible/remote work, use of technology and mismatched cultural expectations are generating disengagement and tension in workplaces around the world. And yet, it needn’t be that way.
What are the four generations?
Effective intergenerational working starts with an understanding of both what a ‘generation’ is and how employee’s life experiences can be used as a force for good when it comes to doing productive work.
A ‘generation’ – in anthropological terms – is defined as people who are collectively born and living at the same time. Of course, that doesn’t mean that everyone in a generation is the same, that’s simply not true. However, as we come of age (in our teens) there are certain global events that shape our lives at the same time. These are often the things that you talk about as you get older ‘When we were young etc.’
For clarity, the common consensus is that the four generations are as follows:
Baby Boomers: Born 1946 – 1964
Gen X: Born 1965 – 1980
Millennials: Born 1981 – 1996
Gen Z: Born 1997 – 2012
Here is an example of the events that shaped each one:
Baby Boomers: Civil Rights, Beatlemania, Vietnam War, Glam Rock, Word Processors
Gen X: Cold War, AIDS, Stock Market Crash, New Romantics, PC/Apple Mac
Millennials: Iraq War, SARS, D&I, Reality TV, RnB, Handheld Technology
Gen Z: Ukraine War, COVID-19, employee activism, 80s/90s nostalgia, AI
Given the different experiences, it’s therefore unrealistic to expect automatic harmony. And yet, every generation is united by the same thing when it comes to work. When asked in a recent survey what their number one requirement is for work, they all agreed that it was ‘culture’. Not benefits, income or job security (although these were all important factors), but the everyday experiences that make up life at work.
What does intergenerational culture look like?
An obvious statement, but one worth repeating, is that the world has changed significantly over the last 10-15 years. As an example, where once, bullying in the workforce was seen as ‘tough love’, it is now – rightly – seen as utterly dehumanising behaviour and is being called out in organisations around the world.
Unbelievably, there are still people that wish for a return to these ‘good old days’, yet not only is that not possible, it would be unthinkable. Expectations – from all generations – now centred around a kinder, more flexible and humane place of work. Some statistics include:
- 83% of Gen Z employees would choose an employer with a strong culture of empathy over an employer who offered them more money
- 75% of Millennials say that greater flexibility of location would be their preferred mode of working
- Gen X employees are now just as likely (to within 1%) of Millennials and Gen Z employees to report poor management to HR
- Baby Boomers and Gen X employees’ #1 culture requirement is to work alongside good (i.e. more human) co-workers
- Whilst the average tenure for Millennial and Gen Z workers increased by 2.3 years if they feel that their organisation gives them agency over the culture that they build
Bridging the Gap
The evidence is clear. When time, money and effort is spent on culture, not only does it lead to happier employees, it also generates different ideas from different people, with different ages, genders and backgrounds. In short, building an intergenerational culture is better for everyone, especially the organisation they work for. But where to begin?
Encourage conversations between the different age groups within your organisation. Ask them to share stories. What were your early days in work like? What events shaped your youth? What was good about the way that you worked? What did you learn? How have things changed? And how can you help each other to forge a new beginning? One that is respectful to all, but that also generates intrinsic motivation, productive work and pride in the collective group achievement.
By pulling down the barriers between generations, organisations everywhere can create fertile ground for everyone’s future, regardless of generation.
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Written by Colin D Ellis.
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