How can we change the environment to facilitate both generations that exist today?

It is true that organisations should begin changing to accommodate the requirement of Gen Z staff. but does it mean we forget the existence of other generations? Millennials who functioned with a very different system during the last 20-30 years may find it difficult to grasp the new change. Therefore it is important that we ensure  a smooth transition while keeping the millennials on their comfort zone. 

How do we achieve this? 

1. One fit for all : NO MORE

Multigenerational workforce means a team could be composed of employees with different perspectives, needs and wants. Some may have newly entered parenthood while others may be caring for their parents. Some may be in new relationships while some are going through a divorce. Some may be youngsters with multiple jobs whereas some are looking for retirement plans (Hastwell, 2023). Understanding these differences in priorities and creating a system that can accommodate the different requirements while running a steady function is the key to managing a successful team while it is one of the biggest challenges.

The pioneer of individual difference theory, Hans Eysenck demonstrated that every individual is different to the other in so many aspects such as personality, interests, inborn traits etc., which eventually leads to different thinking and behavioural patterns (Exploring your mind, 2019). Therefore applying one reinforcement method, one solution for all employees will not entail that everybody will showcase equal performance rates. Unlike the previous eras, one fit for all will no longer be applicable.

2. Re-defining Leadership

A very interesting topic in the corporate world today is ‘Leadership’. How can one meet the needs of all existing generations and still keep peace within? Millennials search for leaders who can connect them all to a purpose while Gen Z looks for an instant  problem solver who has answers up their sleeve at all times. It may sound impossible to satisfy all these needs. However, the role of a leader altogether has begun changing. All leaders must brace themselves to incorporate new skills and thinking patterns to accommodate to ensure they become the bridge between all generations while continuously looking for ways to further develop the system for a better tomorrow. Redefining leadership will be further discussed here. 

3. Multi Communication methods

The 2 generations were growing up with different communication methods that led to different interpretations of tone and punctuation (Hastwell, 2023). Using multiple communication methods and incorporating newly introduced technology while not leaving behind the old methods will be a skill of a successful organisation. Managers can be encouraged to take part in understanding how each individual prefers to communicate. It could create a much stronger connection and easy access among the colleagues and with the management as well.

4. Equal opportunities for enhancing skills

Trainings are usually only conducted for new comers or refreshers for the existing staff. But what if we provide similar training to even the existing staff, especially for the millennials to know more about technology, a glimpse of the digital world and how they can use them to make their lives easy not only at work, but also in their personal life. Giving each generation a look at each other’s world will be a practical way of creating a much stronger bond with each other.  

5. Breaking the Power dynamic

The power that each generation holds at a workplace is one of the key reasons for the distance between the generations. Millennials feel superior and believe they have the authority to dismiss Gen Zs as inexperienced while Gen Z feels more powerful in the digital world that makes them feel inferior than the millennials. HR leaders should ensure such power dynamics are broken down and everybody feels equally confident to learn new things and teach the existing knowledge with colleagues (Hastwell, 2023).  

As William Kahn's 3 dimensional theory on employee engagement denoted, if employees are emotionally, cognitively and physically engaged within a workplace, there will be no doubt that their productivity will be at a vey high note. Therefore if HR professionals can manage to activate this level of engagement among all colleagues and among both generations under one roof, they will ensure to  navigate the job market in a positive manner.

Following are key benefits that we can achieve by bringing the best out of both generations. 

Figure 2 : How a multi-generational workforce is key to economic growth (Belelieu and Nareri, 2020).

References

• Belelieu, A. and Nareri, H. (2020). How a multi-generational workforce is key to economic growth. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/how-a-multi-generational-workplace-is-key-to-economic-growth/ [Accessed 26 Nov. 2023].

• Exploring your mind. (2019). Hans Eysenck’s Model of Individual Differences. [online] Available at: https://exploringyourmind.com/hans-eysenck-individual-differences/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2023].

• Hastwell, C. (2023). Engaging and Managing a Multigenerational Workforce. [online] Great Place To Work®. Available at: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/engaging-and-managing-multigenerational-workforce [Accessed 25 Nov. 2023].

• Sinclair, S. (2020). Kahn’s 3 Dimensions of Employee Engagement: Still Good to Go in 2021? [online] www.talkfreely.com. Available at: https://www.talkfreely.com/blog/dimensions-of-employee-engagement#:~:text=Kahn%20used%20examples%20of%20employees [Accessed 27 Nov. 2023].