Mind the Gap! Bridge the Gap Between Baby Boomers and Millennials in the Workplace

We can't all be 20-ane again.

So, when you're managing a diverse workplace, how can you inspire, unite and appoint all of your employees – regardless of age?

When information technology comes to your employees, they'll no doubtfulness be an interesting agglomeration. Information technology'south probable they'll exist from all walks of life with very unlike wants and needs. So, how can y'all make sure you're winning hearts and minds in a multi-generational workplace?

Sodexo's informative eBook, 'The Generation Game' centres on ways businesses can better manage the employee experience to go on everybody happy within the workplace.

Whether it's coming upwardly with innovative ways of recognising success and improving performance or addressing the employee benefits package as a whole, it's clear that one size certainly doesn't fit all.

And then, what are the primal challenges in today's mod workplace and what can you do to bridge the gap between Baby Boomers, Generation Z and everyone in between?

Here are x ways to bring the employee experience live across all of the generations…

i.    FOCUS ON THE INDIVIDUAL

Today'southward workplaces are made up of five unlike generations – with the large three being 'Baby Boomers', 'Generation X' and 'Millennials'.

Every bit Sodexo's inquiry states, the single biggest claiming facing multi-generational organisations over the next five years is looking across age and learning how to appoint every individual based on their personal needs, abilities, ambitions and interests.

Iain Thomson, Managing director of Incentive & Recognition, Sodexo, says, "We need to finish categorising people and showtime encouraging individuality. You wouldn't await it when you meet people in a non-professional person environment, so why should it be acceptable in the workplace?"

It's sound communication and well backed upwards past recruitment professionals.

Alex Fleming, President of General Staffing at Adecco Group UK and Ireland, said in an article about millennial attitudes to employment, that stereotyping must be avoided at all costs.

She says, "as the number of generations in the workforce rises, businesses must steer abroad from any stereotypical views of generations and instead provide benefits and working practices that are tailored to individual needs."

We might be the same workforce, only our needs and requirements may exist very dissimilar. If organisations want to bulldoze business success stories, they'd do well to keep it personal.

2.   Get TO KNOW YOUR EMPLOYEES

We're seeing a shift in management. Information technology seems that older workers are increasingly beingness managed by younger staff. As the retirement age increases and older employees stay in the workforce for longer, information technology's going to happen.

This can either be a brilliant thing or it tin backfire – it actually depends on the individuals concerned. Your chore is to stay on top of the fallout and head off any problems before they ascend – and that'southward where good communication is critical.

If you're in touch with your employees, you tin recognise early doors whether your baby boomers feel overlooked for promotion or whether they take a lack of respect towards a younger employee whose credentials may be in doubt. You'll too know whether your millennial managers feel insecure and unsupported.

By getting in front of staff and having regular feedback sessions, yous can brainstorm to understand the individual concerns around management.

iii. Alter UP THE SPACE

A positive working surround is one that brings people together rather than dividing them, boosting productivity and helping to achieve business success stories.

If you lot tin can cross the generations by getting them to work collectively as a team where possible, you'll foster positive relationships and understanding betwixt the generations.

Depending on your visitor culture, you may even have to bring in a 'no electronic mail for an afternoon' policy to practice it – getting people together can oft be easier said than done.

So, now's the time to bring in break out areas and open spaces where co-workers can sit and process ideas together. You might have to knock downward walls to exercise information technology, just no mountain is too big every bit they say!

4. ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION

Become people talking by establishing regular team meetings where people experience supported to share their views without being shouted down. Encourage managers to pull different people onto projects to diversify thinking around problems and solutions.

Organise social events or themed days where staff can get involved in a collective role initiative. You don't have to run to Paris and dorsum, only bake off days or similar staff events can be a peachy place to start.

If you take lots of remote workers, how about getting with the social intranet programme and looking into new ways of communicating via Slack and and so along.

When people begin to work more closely together, they start to plant greater understanding of each other. And that can bring large benefits to the business organization.

v.   PLAY TO STRENGTHS

Managers are more than likely to connect with employees by playing to their strengths. It doesn't have a genius to piece of work out that someone with limited experience in, say, Information technology, isn't going to be the person to fix a particular applied science problem. It's only going to make everyone experience frustrated and even foolish.

This is an obvious example of grade, but if you equip your managers with the skills to spot employee strengths and play to them, y'all'll build a more inclusive workplace that suits everyone.

As Sodexo's research says, "this is where respect and trust in senior direction comes from – a transparent, inclusive civilization and the genuine conventionalities that the employer has each and every person'south best interests at center when allocating tasks and chore roles."

Get management up to speed on the possible generational differences and brand sure they're mindful of these. Focus on good leadership by providing training that offers the techniques they need to turn good managers into corking ones.

Create a workplace culture where you play to everyone'south strengths and yous'll directly better the employee experience.

half-dozen.   EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY

Nosotros recollect information technology's a little unfair to say that all millennials want to communicate via social media platforms or apps, especially equally the fastest growing groups in these realms are over fifty. But it's true to say they're used to communicating in real-time and need answers to questions far quicker than, say, your boilerplate Babe Boomer might.

Kantar Media's research into the over 50s demographic labels this generation the 'young at hearts', fully engaged with digital platforms and new trends. Anne Benoist, Group Director at Kantar Media says, "our data shows the attitudes and behaviours of many over 50s clearly defies the stereotypes frequently associated with their historic period group."

So far, then contrary.

Notwithstanding, as an employer, information technology's best to recognise that sure employees will be used to communicating in certain ways – and attitudes towards engineering will touch this.

Look at your individual workplace and think, how can you tailor your communication accordingly and consider new ways to bulldoze innovation within your business? For example, Infant Boomers and Gen X desire face to face meetings and recognition for a job well done but millennials may shy away from that.

One affair's for sure, all of the generations are leaning towards working flexibly – and technology can help businesses implement a viable flexible working policy with great results.

7.    Retrieve INNOVATIVELY

When it comes to offering broad appeal, it's always good to start back with basics. Throw away erstwhile routines and embrace new trends and innovations to observe people appointment that actually resonates.

We've heard that Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder of room sharing website Airbnb wanted to attract more than millennials into his business. He did it by shouting about the visitor values in order to entreatment to this purpose-driven segment of society.

He talks about all-company meetings where staff are flown into San Francisco for 3 days, plus fortnightly meetings that are live streamed to bring together all of the visitor's offices up. All of this people engagement allows AirBnB to proceed company values front of heed.

All very well for millennials of course, but really, this kind of forward-thinking mental attitude to workplace practises has cross-generational appeal as it boosts collaboration and helps working relationships to thrive.

8.     PEER TO PEER LEARNING

Call it what you like, mentoring, coaching or peer-to-peer learning – merely the multi-generations have a lot to offer each other.

We wouldn't like to speculate, but we will: if an older worker is struggling with social media for case, younger generations tin help them polish their skills in this area. Likewise, more than mature workers tin assist with leadership and decision making should millennial managers require a little mentoring and guidance.

Sodexo'south study says, "one innovative example that's been proven to increase employee appointment, bridge gaps and build relationships is peer-to-peer training."

If yous can unlock the skills that sure employees possess which others don't, you lot can bridge the generational gap whilst firmly focusing on improving performance and providing training opportunities.

"Studies show that colleagues acquire more from each other than they do from formal preparation", says Jeanne Meister, Partner at Futurity Workplace and co-author of The 2020 Workplace. "Which is why it's and then important to constitute a culture of coaching beyond age groups".

ix.  SAY Thank You lot TO Anybody

There'southward goose egg worse than a civilisation where public employee recognition is only aimed at one demographic. If your older workers feel that younger ones are beingness recognised and praised more than they are, it volition exist felt effectually the part.

With a well thought out employee recognition platform, y'all can ensure everyone gets the thanks and praise they deserve, regardless of age and stage. In fact, information technology seems that peer-to-peer recognition programmes are the way to go when it comes to driving people engagement and then that anybody gets to relish in glory.

Iain Thomson, Director of Incentives and Recognition at Sodexo, says, "peer-to-peer recognition programmes are really powerful. They encourage employees from all walks of life to show appreciation for i another, bring a new sense of positivity to the workplace, and ensure even the smallest of achievements achieve the limelight."

ten.  TAILOR YOUR REWARDS AND INCENTIVES

According to Sodexo's 'Move, Mould, Motivate: An Essential Guide to Employee Engagement' study, just ten% of employees say the incentives and rewards offered to them are 'very relevant' to their lifestyle and personal interests.

Not the best news HR departments always had.

Employee benefits is 1 surface area that has mass appeal, yet the packet needs to play to the individual to have bear on. 60 minutes managers that collect employee data and review feedback to evolve their offering will create employee benefits with real value.

Sodexo's research shows that younger workers value preparation and opportunities more than highly than other generations – a no brainer when you consider that pay is often linked to promotions.

The more than senior your professional is, the more likely that alimony pots come into play – a cycle to piece of work scheme may be good for some, only for the long altitude commuter, information technology might take footling relevance. Know your audition and make sure you respond accordingly.

So, in that location you take it.

It seems the age long puzzler of how to continue everyone happy is to keep it personal. Put the private front of mind and you'll create people engagement that really resonates, regardless of age or life stage.

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Source: https://www.sodexoengage.com/blog/ten-ways-to-mind-the-workforce-generation-gap

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