The R Us Group

Introduction

The extent of change that the planet has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which a lot of these changes have come about is no less striking.

One part of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it started, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the contemporary arena would seem foreign to businesses of the past.

An interesting problem that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of people who make up their workforce.

This is partially due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world countries, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since people work to a later point in their lives, they may remain with the same organisation into their late 60′s or early 70′s, and often as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting at the board.

There is also a need for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a new way of thinking.

Problems

One of the most typical problems that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in each of our lives nowadays and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle.

There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and key business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company.

Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied.

Whilst an office workspace should be smart they could also contain industrial shelving within particular conditions for office storage needs.

The Generations

The requirement to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in today’s business can be separated into the following four groups:

Traditionals

Mature, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern business environment. They’re the people who were born before the Second World War, and will be in their late 60′s or early 70′s.

Their approach to business and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, and whilst this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.

Since many of the senior generation will hold senior positions within a company their views and opinions will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt the future success or failure of the business. This disparity between modern thinking and business influence requires management.

Baby Boomers

The Baby Boomer generation includes those born between the end of the war and the mid- 60′s, while there was a general decline in the birth rate around the globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a modern business.

This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are very family- oriented. They would be the parents of the traditional “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grasp on modern advances in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well in teams, although it is often observed that they are not at ease when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other employees. These communication problems can become very disruptive in a business setting.

Generation X

Members of Generation X were born between the mid- 60′s and the late- 70′s. They will be presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various tiers of management within a contemporary company.

Socially they grew up in very demanding times. Careers were an ever more important and defining part of people’s lives and this was made clear to Generation X from a very young age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two companies. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have jobs.

Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by financial benefits rather than a sense of duty because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close management to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest group of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social climate where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive promotion to be second nature.

There are a number of beneficial applications for storage bins inside a contemporary company environment or workplace.

The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and contemporary technical equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being genuinely confused about what the world wide web is, the void between the old and the new is made very apparent when it comes to technology.

In regards to the newer organisation, problems involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a channel for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many parts of the business. This introduces the challenge of managing generations within the work environment.

The same principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the critical functions of the organisation.

Physical limitations

There are clear physical aspects that may influence how a successful company manages its workers in regard to age. Older generations will by and large by physically inferior to their younger counterparts, and consequently they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions.

Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these jobs reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical capability.

Modern ailments

Modern companies are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common since the widespread launch and use of computer keyboards.

The desk environment itself can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long periods of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye damage. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the body.

A modern office setting might have desk chairs plus sundries scattered dangerously around the walkways between working spaces.

Solutions

The management of generations in the workplace has obtained more exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.

If there are specific roles within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only use members of that generation to perform the task. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation as your workforce ages.

There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of helpful information that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to your organisation.

There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the matter in greater detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various situations.

If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice. Using their services may be the most recommended method to address your corporate circumstances.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been constantly changing.

Each generation is also motivated by different things, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be applied across numerous generations but it is also important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The company must do what is best for its own success.

Contemporary organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so frequently the case, the path to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic direction.