It’s increasingly the case that our workplaces are multi-generational environments. I wrote recently about the challenges presented by managers being younger than those they lead, but that is but one of the challenges a multi-generational workplace presents.
With the number of over 65s in the workplace doubling, the age gap between the youngest and oldest employees in a typical workplace is likely to be considerable.
Unfulfilled promise
It’s well established that diverse workforces can be beneficial, with research showing that diverse organizations are usually more profitable precisely because of the diverse knowledge they’re able to tap into. Indeed, Harvard research even shows that diversity is often a key selling point when it comes to attracting talent.
This diversity can make it more challenging to ensure that everyone is pulling in the same direction, however, with research showing that more homogenous teams are often more unified and coordinated.
Similarly, research from LSE shows that inter-generational conflicts can lower productivity levels across the workforce. Indeed, the researchers found that around a quarter of workers felt they weren’t productive at work, with nearly 40% of Gen Z saying they suffered from low productivity.
Generational gaps
Looking at over 1,400 workers in finance, professional services, and IT, mainly from big companies, the researchers found that younger employees are less productive when working with older bosses. About 61% of employees said they have an older manager, and the age difference between them and their bosses is, on average, 12 years.
The bigger this age gap, the less happy and productive the employees are. For example, if someone’s manager is more than 12 years older, they’re almost 1.5 times more likely to feel unproductive and almost three times more likely to really hate their job. But interestingly, older workers with younger managers don’t see a drop in productivity. This suggests that many leaders aren’t making the most of the knowledge and skills younger team members bring to the company.
The researchers argue that the key to getting the most out of an inter-generational workforce is more inclusive work practices. They believe that these can help younger workers and bolster their productivity. They outline three practices in particular that are especially useful:
- Make sure that the managers you recruit either have skills in terms of managing diverse and multi-generational teams, or are giving help to develop those skills.
- Create a culture that is more merit-based than seniority-based in terms of how employees re rewarded and promoted.
- Embed a firm commitment to a generationally diverse workforce in your recruitment and retention strategies.
The authors are confident that embracing inclusive work practices that span different generations brings about substantial boosts in productivity. For Gen Z, the percentage of employees reporting low productivity drops significantly from 37% to 18%, and for millennials, it goes from 30% to 13%.
These positive effects aren’t confined to younger workers alone. Employees of all ages in companies with inclusive practices are generally more productive.
They are also twice as likely to find satisfaction in their jobs and less likely to actively seek new roles. To sum it up, inclusive work practices seem to benefit all employees, with a particularly notable impact on younger workers starting their careers.
Keeping age in mind
The advantages of creating a work environment that’s inclusive to a diverse workforce are increasingly well understood, but the researchers argue that age diversity is often excluded from these considerations. As a result, inter-generational conflicts and tensions can arise.
Creating a more inclusive environment requires a total commitment to it across the board, not least of which in terms of overcoming age-related stereotypes that are seldom at all helpful. For instance, older workers are often branded as stick in the muds who are resistant to both technology and change in general, while younger employees are often branded as lazy or overly sensitive.
Diversity can bring tremendous benefits to a workplace with varied skills, knowledge, and connections supporting innovation and creativity. What’s more, the feeling of inclusivity is hugely important in terms of building culture and retaining your best employees. While inter-generational inclusivity may not have formed part of equity and diversity initiatives in the past, it’s clearly time they are included in the future.
