Managing Millennials and Gen Z: HR Insights for the Multigenerational Workplace

Need For Multi-Generational Workplace and Age Diversity

Every generation has its fair share of struggles and it is a long-standing joke that more often than not they exaggerate these struggles. Take the silent generation and the age-old story of how they used to swim through oceans to reach school and were devoid of any basic amenities. The boomers hate technology and cannot grapple with it. Millennials think their era was unmatched and that all the upcoming generations are entitled. Well as for Gen Z, they cannot function without their morning Starbucks! But all the jokes and stereotypes aside, it is imperative that age-diversity leads to organizational excellence and implementation of multi-generational teams can lead to better decision making.

Age-inclusive management acts as a pivotal catalyst that unlocks the potential to enhance intellectual capital. This involves seamlessly integrating employees of all ages into the organization's fabric. This can yield the following benefits:

• A heterogeneous team, comprising members of varying ages, is better equipped to arrive at well-informed decisions, thereby contributing to the organisation's overall health.

• This approach also holds the promise of curbing costly employee turnover, which can adversely impact morale.

• Moreover, it fosters innovation by capitalizing on a collective and collaborative range of perspectives.

• Such a strategy leverages diverse skill sets, synergizing the expertise of both younger and older employees.

• This blend of abilities not only refines traditional business skills but also facilitates more effective customer outreach.

• A further advantage lies in the mentorship opportunities that arise within a multi-age workforce. Experienced senior employees can share their wisdom, while younger colleagues can impart technological and industry-specific skills.

• Embracing age diversity also counteracts the concentration of power within a single age group, mitigating associated challenges.

  
  

Challenges of Age Diversity

Although age diversity as an idea looks promising to make great strides towards business success, it suffers from various obstacles when implemented:

• Lack of Communication Younger employees might feel overshadowed by their more experienced counterparts and hesitate to share their ideas.

  
  

• Resistance to Change: Certain employees may resist adapting to new work methods of technologies introduced by younger colleagues.

  
  

• Groupism: Age-based cliques can emerge in diverse teams, hindering collaboration and cohesion. Employees of similar ages might naturally gravitate towards each other due to shared experiences, isolating those from different age groups and limiting the exchange of ideas.

  
  

• Seniority Complex: While experienced older employees hold valuable knowledge, they can sometimes be unwilling to share their expertise with younger counterparts. This reluctance, stemming from concerns about job security or perceptions of a changing workforce dynamic, can lead to missed opportunities and disruptions.

  
  

• Generational Stereotypes: Preconceived notions about different age groups can lead to stereotypes that affect teamwork. For instance, younger workers might be perceived as lacking experience or discipline, while older workers might be seen as resistant to change. These stereotypes undermine mutual respect and cooperation.

Addressing these challenges requires proactive measures, such as fostering open communication channels, promoting cross-generational mentorship programs, encouraging a culture of mutual learning, and creating inclusive policies that accommodate various work preferences and technologies.

Who is Gen Z and What do they want at a Workplace?

Gen Z, refers to those born between the mid-1990s to the early 2010s. The original natives of the digital world, they are the ones who grew up with smartphones and the internet. They are also progressive, more exposed to hyper-consumerism and have strong opinions on various world issues.

At a workplace, they prefer to take up assignments that require ingenuity and flexibility. While this generation brings entrepreneurial spirit and new perspectives to an organization, it can be a challenge to understand and manage their expectations as an HR professional.

As per a report published by Deloitte, while salary is the most important factor in deciding on a job, Generation Z values salary less than every other generation: If given the choice of accepting a better-paying but boring job versus work that was more interesting but didn’t pay as well, Gen Z was fairly evenly split over the choice.

Hence, integrating Gen Z into the workforce goes beyond merely offering financial incentives. To effectively accommodate their preferences and values, companies can adapt their practices in the following ways:

• Open Platform for Diverse Opinions: Foster an inclusive environment where employees of all generations can share their perspectives openly.

  
  

• Influence and Inspire: Micromanaging is a thing of the past. Today’s transformational leaders focus on providing autonomy to facilitate innovation in the organization.

  
  

• Work Flexibility: Prioritize work-life balance by offering flexible working hours and remote options. This accommodates Gen Z's desire for flexibility and promotes productivity.

  
  

• Reverse Mentoring: Foster collaboration by implementing reverse mentoring programs. Pair younger and experienced employees to exchange insights and skills, creating a more open-minded work environment.

Who are Millennials and What do they want at a Workplace?

Millennials, those born between the early 1980s and the early 1990s make up a huge part of our workforce. They are care about comfort as much as they care about having a purposeful job. They believe in continuous learning and studies reveal that if not satisfied, they are quick to switch jobs.

Hence, in order to reduce attrition in this generation and instill organizational loyalty, fostering the following practices is a must:

• Emphasize teamwork to boost productivity and cross-functional communication.

  
  

• Provide learning opportunities and feedback: Recognize their ambition with incentives like bonuses or promotions for high achievers and hold programmes for continuous learning and development.

  
  

• Offer the right benefits: Attract and retain millennial talent by prioritizing attractive compensation packages over competitive salaries alone. Include perks such as flexible schedules, extra time off, and remote work options, alongside unique amenities like onsite cafes or lounges.

  
  

The Middle Ground: How to Manage Millennials and GEN Z at a Workplace

Mixed-age-work teams can only lead to effectiveness and efficiency if the provide a conducive environment. Here is how they can strike a balance:

Empowering Your Team

Empowerment is grounded in establishing a place where employees are able to share ideas assertively and openly. This starts with creating a safe space where there is room for conflict and differing opinions of all mixed-age-work teams.

• Foster ideation by integrating idea solicitation into regular meetings, regardless of hierarchy or tenure.

• Establish ground rules that prioritize ideation in these sessions.

• Provide avenues for anonymous idea sharing, like idea boards or feedback boxes.

Empathy as Leaders

• Leaders often project their own experiences onto Millennial and Gen-Z employees, focusing more on themselves than the team.

• Understanding the motivations of younger employees is crucial for effective leadership and engagement.

• Research suggests Millennials are less likely to stay long-term with a company compared to older generations. Leaders need to adapt their leadership style to retain Millennial employees and increase engagement.

  
  

Be the Mentor, Not the Boss

• Learn, unlearn and relearn the ways of transformational leadership to foster continuous learning both at the leadership and individual level.

• Embrace the new ways of how these generations operate together and avoid any labels or preconceived notions.

  
  

Conclusion

By creating an inclusive workplace, we will all be able to realize that boomers and Gen Z may not always be at loggerheads and together millennials and Gen Z create some of the most efficient environments to work.