Attention to differences
With so much talk about the demands of the e m e r g i n g , youthful workforce, many older workers are feeling an increasing tension between several generations in the workplace, according to human resource planners.
They have identified four unique generations that must work together, despite different notions about work, says Susan Cassidy, vice-president of human resources for Calgary Laboratory Services.
“ We are seeing these tensions among the different groups and there is no doubt younger workers will look at some [ older workers] and say, ‘ Well, isn’t it time you left?’ ” Ms. Cassidy says. On the other side of the coin, many mature workers may see the expectations of the younger generations as being unrealistic or selfcentred, she adds.
While many of the Depressionera demographic (aged 65 to 78) and Baby Boomers ( 41 to 60) have been with companies for 25 to 30 years, younger workers are more inclined simply to leave a company if they aren’t satisfied, she says. Yet, all demographics must work together to confront some larger issues that will likely affect the ability of companies to function.
Retention of knowledge and people, managing diverse expectations around flexibility and work-life balance and labour shortages due to the ageing population are all posing some major problems for employers.
“ There needs to be more formal systems around mentoring, coaching, and we need to have ways of transferring knowledge [ from experienced workers],” says Ms. Cassidy, who also serves on the Calgary chapter of the Canadian Human Resource Planners.
A one-size-fits-all approach to managing today’s workforce just doesn’t work. “We’ve got to build more flexibility into our benefits, rewards and compensation plans and learning and development,” she says.
Her company employs 1,700 people in Calgary who range in age from 20 to 70.
Older workers who, in some cases, have served decades, can be left feeling somewhat taken for granted if they aren’t recognized in appropriate ways.
At the same time, “it’s not enough for a 50- year- old manager to sit around and say that these young people have unrealistic expectations,” she says.
Everybody seems to be demanding more flexibility — no matter which generation they fall into — but Generation X ( aged 30 to 40) and Generation Y ( 15 to 25) are simply more likely to go somewhere else if they don’t receive it.
At a Canadian Human Resource Planners workshop recently, Jay Jamrog, the keynote speaker, and executive director of Human Resources Institute in Tampa, Fla., talked about the 150 demographic, social, economic, technological, political, legal and management trends he is following at 100 major corporations. He says the need for employers to recognize different value sets and diverse expectations around work will be the key to managing the workforce into the future effectively.
Nadine Johnson, manager of learning and development at Canadian Pacific, says generational differences are now being paid more attention as impending labour shortages become more evident.
“ I see it as all part of the bigger picture in terms of making it an inclusive workspace for everybody,” Ms. Johnson says. “ It might also mean adjusting policies and practices to meet the differing expectations.”
One obstacle: There are really no rules for identifying different generations. They are simple generalizations that group people according to stereotypical traits.
Several studies, and research on the issue, lump different age categories into different groups, but the fact is some broad assumptions are often true, says Ms. Cassidy. “ With the demographic bubble we’re seeing and the issues we’re going to have around recruitment, retention is really the key,” she says.
That includes retaining your 55- or 60-year-old workers as much as the 25- or 30-year-olds.
“What that might mean for an employer trying to keep them all is recognizing that we don’t have the luxury anymore of just saying that’s the way it is and if you don’t like it then leave,” Ms. Cassidy says.