Age Diversity can Lead to Success

Have you ever seen a Baby Boomer struggling with the latest technology?  Wonder why your Millennials and Gen Z associates quit after 6 months?   How should companies approach the wide variety of workers from all generations?

Well, it's all easier said than done.  First off let's look at all generations... (Note exact birth years vary by source)

Greatest Generation: (Born 1900 to 1925) The Greatest Generation received its fitting name by all that it overcame.  Some of these individuals went through two World Wars and the Great Depression.  These dedicated, loyal people were known for their work ethic and respect for authority.  They valued relationships with people and responsibility.  Unfortunately, this generation is mostly if not all out of the workplace, but still impact the work force based off their influence and role modeling for their children. 

Silent Generation: (Born 1925 to 1945) The Silent Generation seems to have a very fitting name.  Often overlooked when thinking of generations, the Silent Generation had traits of putting your nose down and getting the job done.  They were not ones for bucking the norm.  Often referred to as the Traditionalist Generation, they were founded on hard work, great work ethic but also traditional values and culture.  These individuals saw great expansion and economic growth over the years and valued not only work ethic but also self-sacrifice.  These individuals were known to be flexible and often used creativity to engineer their solutions. 

Baby Boomer Generation: (Born 1945 to 1965) The Baby Boomer Generation was named for the sharp increase in family size after World War II.  Baby Boomers are a majority of today's leaders in several organizations.  Being born from the prior two generations, hard work and work ethic still have an emphasis, however they also strive for the betterment of the world.  This generation played a pivotal part creating equality.  They lived through the Civil Rights era and have shaped societal and social norms to be one of valuing diversity.  They are often goal orientated and are big on personal development.   

Generation X: (Born 1965 to 1980) Named by the older generations for the traits of individuality, style, and outlook of the world, Generation X wasn't always seen as a positive thing.  Not conforming to traditions and questioning of authority gave this group a bit of a rebel vibe.  With over 65 million individuals in this population, Gen X has become a huge part of the workforce.  With a majority of the Gen Xers being born from the Silent Generation and the oldest Baby Boomers they know what hard work and work ethic is.  They are also one of the first generations to truly see the tech industry explode and have a heavy hand in its development.  Gen X is a bridge generation...one that values innovation but that also appreciates the traditions of the past.  They are the ones translating the thoughts and ideas of the younger generations for your Boomers.  This is the beginning of the work/life balance push and as well as individuality and creativity.  They are often independent thinkers and continue on with the diversity push began by the Boomers.  Technology is their friend and many are eager and ambitious to learn and do more. 

Millennials: (Born 1980 to 1995) Also rarely referred to as Gen Y, these individuals are the first globalists and first individuals to grow up a majority if not their entire life with internet.  These individuals expect a team effort on items.  They are often entrepreneurial by nature.  They have an unsatiable appetite to learn and do more.  They also took the equality to the next level often being very socially active. 

Gen Z (Born 1996 to 2012) Also referred to as the Zoomers, these individuals further continued the importance of equality and diversity making it more of an expectation.  These individuals are very aware socially, politically, and often have high ambitions.  Diversity is something they grew up with.  They are the first generation to not know what life was like before the internet.  Very tech driven these individuals are often looking for the right cause to fight for.  They can become disengaged quickly if unappreciated or if a continuous development plan is not adhered to. 

Gen Alpha (Born 2013 to 2025) Well these individuals are not yet in the work force.  We will have to see where the future takes this generation.  They will have been born and lived with the internet and will have a heavy tech skills.  They will continue to put life over work in the work/life balance.  This will also be the first generation to grow up with AI as an integral part of their lives. 

Ok now that we've got a little excerpt on the generations.  Here are some stereotypes and trends that have been seen in the workplace.   Certainly, each person is their own situation.  Life is never the same for any two people so while the above are meant to categorize traits, know that anyone can break generational norms.  That is actually what employers should look for.  The most successful future employees are going to be the ones that can not only identify their own generation and their skills/traits, but to also understand the other generation tendencies and adapt to each situation and each unique team, their strengths and weaknesses. 

Starting with Millennials you start seeing trends with the scales tipping more to the life side of a work/life balance.  Millennials are the first to not want bigger and don't always see bigger as an equivalent to better.  Millennials also started the trend of moving to where you want to live, then worry about finding work.  Prior to this it was very rare to see someone put such an emphasis on where to live, more over taking priority of the type of work they do.  Millennials and Gen Z also really started to show the insatiable appetite to grow and learn more.  Unfortunately, at times they can mistakenly take being well-versed at something as being an expert, with their attention moving on to the next thing to learn. 

It is crucial with the younger generations to have an individual game plan or development plan to keep them on track.  Introducing new things to learn and new skills to pick up every 3-6 months can be an excellent way of keeping them engaged.  They are smart, and tech savvy, but an older generation trait of putting your nose down and grinding through a career just isn't very often in the cards. 

Older generations come with their own needs and game plans, though some may be offended by the thought they need to be further developed.  They have a lot of work and life experiences to draw from.  Know they may not be the best with technology, so don't set them up for failure by raising expectations with the latest trends and innovations.  Lean into their strengths.  The most successful places I've seen regarding work environment are ones where there are individuals at all generations working together for one sole cause or purpose.  Mission statements for organizations can have an even larger impact as it helps set the tone and illustrate leadership's vision for a business. 

Know attendance may be a bigger problem with younger generations.  Are your attendance policies too strict?  A few Boomers and Gen Xers can help by providing a strong consistent base and foundation for your business.  You should be able to better trust and rely on these individuals to stay committed, be on time, and be loyal while you push the younger generations on performance excellence, quality, and as they say their "Rizz" (charisma).  Older generations can be great mentors too for the younger generations still learning the ins and outs of working life.  Avoid putting too much pressure on Boomers learn and develop new skills (unless they want to) and or look to keep the younger generations busy with side projects of helping and teaching the older generations with more technology and innovation centered items and projects.  Play to their strengths. 

Having a diverse multi-generational team can help you and your organization best positioned for success.  Again, these are trends or stereotypes, and nothing can be put as a 100% sure thing.  Keep playing to your teams' strengths, help by not creating unachievable expectations, and find those cross-generational workers primed to take your company to the next level.