Managing a Multigenerational Workforce - Term Paper Example

Managing a Multigenerational Workforce Introduction Multigenerational workforce in a workplace de s personnel of multiple generations are working alongside in a specific workplace. It can be apparently observed that the profiles of several generation people including younger, semi-middle and middle along with certain senior generation individuals have already spend majority of their life in workplace. Each of these different age groups possess own generational differences that lay the probability of causing disagreements amid them and senior officials in a workplace. Managing a multigenerational workforce could be challenging as well as interesting because if it is not properly understood, it would create a hazardous situation in between different age groups, leading into creating instability as well as conflicts. Based on different skills s as well as diversified ways of communication, these groups must be segregated accordingly. These diversified age groups could create a rich talented workforce, which in turn, would prove to be quite beneficial for the organisations in future. However, it should be too much challenging also for its remarkable diversity, which should be managed properly, otherwise the situation becomes fatal (Fallon, 2014). With this concern, the prime intent of this term paper is to discuss and analyze about the subject matter of managing a multigenerational workforce in this modern day context. Discussion on the Main Theme: A Brief Summary It has been earlier mentioned that multigenerational workforce could create positive and negative impacts on the overall performance of organizations belonging to this modern day context. From the perspective of positive impacts, an effective management of a multigenerational workforce could result in facilitating the modern organizations to reap several significant benefits. These benefits could be duly measured in the form of increasing the profitability level, attaining greater competitive position and ensuring long-term sustainability among others. On the other hand, from the standpoint of negative impacts, the implications of the above stated subject matter could be reckoned as decreased level of overall business or operational performance, ineffective decision making and most vitally mis-utilization of certain valuable resources like human resources. Thus, with this concern, it should be managed in an effective manner for enabling the modern organizations to reap several significant benefits including taking wise decisions about developing the performance of the employees and taking deliberate efforts towards sustaining in this competitive business settings. While discussing about the management of a multigenerational workforce, it will be vita to mention that in this 21st century, operations performed within the modern organizations are much different from previous years. In earlier days, it was found that organizations would always prefer skilled and experienced people than the newcomers, but in today’s world, scenario has been completely changed, engaging more fresh newcomers as compared to experienced individuals (Harrison, 2007). This can be better understood from the following depicted graphical illustration: Source: (Harrison, 2007) Apart from the aforementioned aspect, various changes are witnessed to appear in the present multigenerational organizations. These changes can be apparently observed in terms of developing operational procedures and making effective business or operational decisions among others. Evidently, multigenerational workforce is primarily based on four particular type of profiles that encompass ‘silent generational profile’, ‘baby boomer profile’, ‘generation X profile’ and ‘generation Y profile’ (Fallon, 2014). A constructive valuation of the above discussed profiles has been conducted below for better comprehension of the exact disparities persisting between multiple generations. Silent Generational Profile: This profile is mainly related to pre-retired as well as retired people who pay utmost attention on their respective savings and desire to spend rest of their life comfortably. Concerned groups are either married or separated. Additionally, most of the people possess potential education and have attended high schools along with completing varied professional courses. The stated group of people is keen to help others and many of them are fulfilling their desires of travelling the world and adopting new hobbies among others. The various attributes of this particular profile include least technological-savvy generation, socially as well as financially conservative and disciplined along with hard working. The other features entail rigid and orthodox and work ethics to be based on the factors concerning commitment and responsibility. Baby Boomer Profile: This profile is related with the working people, who are mostly married. Larger amount of concerned group are identified to be educated. Besides, they are conscious about consuming healthy foods and obtaining alternative healthcare. In their quality time, they love to travel, spend time in self-care as well as make shopping online. The various attributes relating to this profile are ascertained to be having a tendency of being self-centered along with optimistic and idealistic. This generation of being self-centered is interested in having fun and also desires to pursue a poised life fostering individual growth as a crucial aim. Additionally, the other attributes of this generation generally reflect on their attitudes of being internet savvy and self-governing along with possessing diverse attitudes towards their own works. Generation X Profile: This generation is regarded as the best-educated profile in the US. However, on the other side, money, being the sole motivator for this generation, the people portray the character of being materialistic, global as well as technology-oriented than the previous generations. This generation is observed to be anxious about economical and emotional security, but culturally diverse. Specially mentioning, philosophy of this generation is ascertained to be “No Guarantees”, wherein they would like to get shifted from one specific job to another. Generation Y Profile: This generation people are deemed to be the biggest buyer group in the history of the US. Notably, most of the people related to the above generation are attending school colleges. Apart from others, concerned people are religious while alcoholism is increasing the problem. In another side, they are self-inventive, rational and hardworking also (Harrison, 2007). Thus, from the above discussion, it is clear that the aforesaid four generation profiles possess varied characteristics that might make any business manager to face challenges in a multigenerational workforce environment. Managing this situation and to gain trust as well as respect from all the multigenerational staff, the following aspects need to be considered: Understand Difference In Work And Communication Styles: It is clearly stated that ‘silent generation’ and ‘baby boomers’ are not much technology oriented like X or Y generations. Silent generation would be more comfortable with non-electrical communicative work, while all other generations desire to communicate electronically. Thus, based on this notion, the business managers ought to realize that ‘one-size-fits-all’ leadership style would not work for multigenerational workforce. Basically, baby boomers would like to discuss about their work evolution project on systematic basis, which creates problem for X or Y generation managers, as they remain okay with quick mail or even text updates also. To overcome this critical situation, managers should treat their subordinates as ‘partner’ in an equity way and regard them to feel as a positive part of their respective organizations as well. Training and Development to Different Styles of Learning: Most of the younger employees would like to follow online learning modules for understanding something new in a workplace. Thus, for the introduction with new technology in workplace and its effective execution, a few of the training as well as development programs would require to be adopted as well as imparted. Boomers would prefer the adopted training programs for learning new technologies that are introduced in a workplace, which may help them to get more interacted with new generation profiles. Flexible Working Option: It is vital to introduce supple working options in a workplace for showing greater level of concern and care to effective employees. Managers should allow flexible timings and work facilities to the employees for addressing as well as mitigating any sort of critical situation with the aim of retaining potential staff members. Know The Difference between Recognition and Appreciation: Older generation people would always prefer to get recognized rather than appreciation, while the young generation individuals desire to get appreciated more than recognition. Management should have to deal with these two distinct sorts of situations by formulating effective recognition based programs and more vitally appreciating the young generation individuals for their respective work. Provide Independence: Based on the characteristics possess by the above stated generation profiles, it must be stated that the X generation people remains highly creative along with independent in their respective works and the Y generation people tends to be flexible and collaborative. Create a Fun Work Environment: This working procedure would be more preferable to young generation than traditional working procedure. Justifiably, this would create job satisfaction amid the young staff members. It is worth mentioning that ‘dress-relaxation’ or ‘fun-Fridays’ with competition games would help to enrich team building inside an organization and enhance work system as well (Harrison, 2007). My Leanings from the Topic With regards to the above discussion, I learned that multigenerational workforce means four generations in workplace and their different characteristics towards workplace mainly gets differentiated based on communication and respective skill sets among others. Based on this discussion, I had a perception that changes should always happen and it is the responsibility of all the relevant people to welcome such changes. New technologies like internet are deemed to be regarded as unbreakable parts of work that make the variable generations to remain updated through ensuring better introduction of the training as well as development program. It is worth mentioning that there lay certain concepts that I expect to get utilized in the workplace. These aspects include increasing the ability of lessening generation gaps and promoting team building procedure. Apart from these, the other factors encompass driving the relevant workforce towards attaining predetermined targets and making effective decisions towards resolving any critical situation among others. Conclusion Multigenerational workforce in an organization could bring positive as well as negative results for an organization, that directly impact on its overall performance. While discussing about managing a multigenerational workforce in a workplace, utmost focus was laid on classifying the four generation profiles that persist in this modern business environment. Apart from this, their characteristics have also be identified and analyzed for clarifying doubts regarding the management of persisting multigenerational workforce and the problems that they face during the conduct of varied business or operational functions. Specially mentioning, building team effort for deriving positive results, gaming ideas, recognizing along with appreciating older along with younger generation people and providing them with utmost independence relating to their respective working styles must be considered for supervising a multigenerational labor force. Thus, in conclusion, it can be affirmed that proper and effective management of multigenerational workforce would support a business entity to ensure long-term sustainability in future as compared to others operating in any industry. References Harrison, L. H. (2007). Managing today’s multigenerational workforce. Today’s Workplace: A Compilation of Four Generations, 2-14. Fallon, N. (2014). Business news daily. Retrieved from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6609-multigenerational-workforce-challenges.html Read More