1.0 Introduction
Within the work environment, whether in relation to public policy or within the private sector, multigenerational human factors generously influence the culture and working environment of organizations (Cannon & Broach, 2011). While employees from the older generations are staying longer in the workforce, younger cohorts of generation Y are also entering the workforce globally. Ageing population across the globe will continue to pose a challenge in the businesses which turn into a big challenge for managers to handle a complex workplace environment. This paper identifies and discusses the implications in multigenerational workforce which consist the Traditionalist, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y and the ageing
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The workforce today is encountering a much distinctive working environment than it was in the past. There are more proclaimed contrasts between the generations today than at any time in the past basically because our world has changed so much in the last 50 years. The modern workforce is portrayed by a multigenerational character, a rapidly fluctuating workforce, rapid technological change and innovation (Hannam & Yordi, …show more content…
With all the four generations working together in a workplace, it will influence the organizational work ethic, perceptions of organizational hierarchy, work relationships and ways of managing change (Anon., 2009). The Kelly Global Workforce Index states that 42% of workers in the U.S concede they have experienced intergenerational conflicts in the work environment, while 35% said they adjust the way they speak with colleagues from different generations so as to evade issues (Services, 2012). This variation in perception can have any kind of effect in how individual work together and understand each other.
As human resource departments strive to show their relevance and effect to business units, HR leaders must become change agents in making a work environment that can get, keep, and develop talent from all different kind of generations. Nevertheless, by having different kind of generations in the workplace, it will create some potential issue for the Human Resource Management to handle. The implications of the multigenerational workforce to the HRM which will be stated as
Diversity is a changing constant that is brought about by “race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, disabilities, culture and cultural characteristics”. The recent issues between older and millennial employees throughout the department are due to these changing constants accompanied with changes in “global labor demographics”. Although focus can be placed on arising issues between older employees and millennial employees, a greater efforts should be placed on achieving cultural competency. Building a foundation for cultural competency for employees within the department will not only benefit the employee but also benefit the individuals we serve. Formulation of this foundation will transition if not help guide other departments within the organization as similar issues arise.
The main themes addressed in this article are the generational changes within the workforce, the advancements in the economy that are affecting the workplaces and the changes in the work ethic of employees.
Currently there are 3 major generations in the workforce, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. The two biggest clash is seen between the largest generation gap, Boomers and Generation Y. The two generations have contradictory work preferences. “Boomers obsession with work vs Generation Y's flexibility, Baby Boomers preference for autonomy and Generation Y's for collaboration and working in teams, Baby Boomers respect for workplace hierarchy against Generation Y's preparedness to challenge management and so on” (Helyer & Lee, 2013). “Some generational differences can be addressed through effective human resource management. For example, organizations train managers to provide frequent feedback to members of Generation Y, and they show respect for older generations’ hard work and respect for authority by asking them to mentor younger workers” (Raymond, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2014).
Upon entering the workforce, this generation worked for organizations that had “clear lines of authority, strict assignment of responsibilities, rank based on seniority, and an implied work contract; they expected to work for the same company until retirement and valued job security and stability” (Fore, 2013). However, because this generation was often absorbed with the past, “technology represented an unpleasant change that required training and adjustment, as it affected both their work and personal lives” (Fore, 2013).
Every generation carrying its own methodologies, ideas, innovations, styles and experiences, an organization is equipped with all the diverse talent it needs to become successful in the long run. Though we have numerous advantages and opportunities in working with all the four generations at workplace, following are the benefits that make a difference: Increased Competitiveness: When generations work together, it leads to healthy competition among the workforce. The older generations believe that if not more than, they can work for the same duration as their younger colleagues do. On the other hand, the belief, “The younger, the better” drives the minds of the younger generation people to work much more as they would do with the same generation people.
The focus of this paper is to elaborate on the changing landscape of work in America during the twenty-first century. According to the researchers, as the economy continues to slowly recover from the recession and economic crisis, more of our baby boomers are reentering the workforce. In addition to the introduction of automation and computer technologies into the workplace, this has dramatically changed the nature of jobs for the older workers (Czaja and Sharit 2009). As stated in the Government Accountability Office in 2006, the number of workers over age 55 is projected to increase significantly over the next 20 years. Evidence shows that ageism, stereotypes, and misinformation about our older population continue to be major issues across
At the same time that the number of older persons available for and willing to work is increasing, the workplace is changing as businesses seek to become more competitive. The most notable changes include downsizing, increased use of technology, and less-hierarchical work structures that use teams. As a result of technological changes and greater dependence on teams, training and retraining are hallmarks of today's workplace. Older workers have not fared particularly well during these changes. During the downsizing that took place from 1986 through 1991, proportionately more older workers were laid off, and, at the expense of retraining existing employees--especially older workers--firms spend more on training new entrants (Hall and Mirvis 1994). Kantor (1994) refers to the aging work force as a "mixed blessing [because] many companies associate it not with a loyal, experienced workforce knowledgeable ab...
Changes in demographics affect the work force in that the number of mature and elderly workers is more than the number of the youth. A typical aging workforce is characterized by an increase in the number of older workers and low rates of entry into the workforce by the youth. This forces organizations, both private and governmental to change their policies to cater for the aging workforce. The effect that the aging revolution has on the composition of the workforce is that in the near future, the number of elderly workers will be more than that of youth workers. By the time the elderly workers reach the age of retirement, therefore, there will be a sharp decrease in the number of workers available in countries all over the world. Another risk associated with aging revolution is the increase of the number of workers who attain the age of retirement coupled by the few number of entrants into the
The pattern of work over the years seems to change from one era to another. With the advent of ever-growing technologies and innovation, the workforce environment and nature is moving from the traditional ways of working, thus creating a drastic change and a new revolution in it. This paper presents a critical reflection on how the nature of the workplace has been changing over the past years. The work life today completely contrasts with that of the past. The norms and dedication towards a company have moved on and work people are now distributed in multiple companies.
“Each generation brings different strengths to the team, and smart leaders arrange the various strengths on their teams in such a way as to neutralize weaknesses, leveraging those strengths so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” (Shaw, 2013, Chapter 3). From personal experiences at the workplace, it is so true that combination of people from multiple generations can accomplish more than one type of generation in the workplace. It is accurate that mixture of people from multiple generations can bring the success more than one type of generation at work. Different experiences, skills set, creativities, value, and belief can be used where needed in the
Employees can help bridge the gap between the three generations. The following are ways to help minimize friction between
Changing a work place culture and maintain diversity in our organization would be the most critical in keeping the momentum of the culture. Advantages of a diverse environment outweigh the disadvantages, from lawsuits to establishing a competitive edge in the market. Working in an environment that has a “good–old-boy” culture may have been the in-thing in the 50’s. However, diversity in the work place today drives competitiveness by blending ideas from mingling genders, creeds, race, and age, to the global market of the 21st century. Challenges face our management today from attempting to design a culture of interconnected teams. Generational diversity
The ability to integrate generations will be a significant interpersonal skill set requirement of those in Human Resources. The Manager of Employee Engagement develops engaging and prompt manners to determine employee satisfaction and receive feedback focusing on the lean towards specialization in the workforce, along with the need to retain talent (Guppta, 2016). The Director of Learning is in charge of “designing voluntary or mandatory training programs, and bridging virtual and in-person training sessions and exercises (Guppta, 2016).” The internet allows HR to search a broader base of potential employees by using online job postings and online recruiting companies such as Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com.
Macon, M., & Artley, J. B. (2009). Can’t We All Just Get Along? A Review of the Challenges and Opportunities in a Multigenerational Workforce. International Journal Of Business Research, 9(6), 90-94.
Now a day employers look for many skills in workers. There are many reasons why worker are not get a job or they are getting fired, but there is one reason why that is happening. That reason is that many employers need people with good skills, qualities and attributes. There are many workers out there, who don’t have the skills that are need in the current workforce. Well that is going to change and there the career and work counsellor come in. “For years, employers have been aware of employee engagement and maintenance issues in their workplaces. As the millennial generation (also commonly known as Gen-Y and includes births from 1982 – 2000) grows in the workforce and baby boomers retire, managers and human resources professionals will need to develop new engagement models take into account the generational differences between baby boomers and millennial (Gilbert, 2011 ).”According to the article “THE MILLENNIALS: A NEW GENERATION OF EMPLOYEES, A NEW SET OF ENGAGEMENT POLICIES” there was a research done that show that baby boomers are the largest generation of workers, who are organizational memory, confidence and there are willing to longer hours. (Gilbert, 2011) what does this mean in the current workplace is that many baby boomer are retiring early or there are quit their job because there don’t have the skills that are required in the current workplace. In this essay I will be analysing the skills, qualities and attributes workers need in today workplace. Also how does this affect the career and work counsellors.