Bridging the Generation Gap and Achieving True Generational Diversity
While many companies focus on improving diversity and inclusion, age-based stereotypes remain across industries and organisations of every size. Understanding and managing generational differences in the workplace requires the same approach as improving any other type of diversity.
"Diversity is an enabler of growth, progress and innovation. We as a company are committed and progressively working towards creating an inclusive environment that will foster all aspects of diversity." - Niranjan Nadkarni, CEO, TÜV SÜD South Asia, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa Region and Member of TÜV SÜD‘s Sounding Board Committee on Diversity
This article is a recap of our first virtual Sustainability Matters Talks session and breaks down what generational diversity is and how to manage it in the workplace. If you prefer watching the recording, you can find it down below.
What is generational diversity in the workplace and why is it important?
Generational diversity is the concept of having a wide range of generations represented in the workforce. This is especially relevant today, because people's life spans are increasing and they are retiring later.
"Age is a dimension of diversity that suffers from too little exposure. At the same time, the age diversity in the current workforce is the widest ever." - Liz Fendt, Global CMO TÜV SÜD
For the first time, we have five generations in the workforce. Each generation grew up in a radically different time, which shapes how they see the world.
The best workforces often have a mix of people from these generations. Businesses that fail to employ a mix either do not know how to reach or keep people from one generation or another. When done correctly, generational diversity offers a huge ROI as it decreases employee turnover expenses, increases potential client base, and improves succession planning for retirement.
Creating a multi-generational workforce will also impact sales. When a company’s staff reflects its target market, its better able to anticipate and respond to their demand; therefore, a multi-generational workforce can better appeal to a larger target market.
Additionally, diverse teams tend to be better at problem-solving. They have got different ideas, different perspectives, different life experiences. People of different ages can bring very different viewpoints, particularly in this age of rapid technological progress. There’s a great benefit to bringing together people who spent most of their lives without the internet and those who’ve never known anything else—along with people like me who are somewhere in the middle.
What are the consequences of not having generational diversity?
Without generational diversity, businesses will find it hard to hire, engage, and keep talent.
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"Although most companies see the multiple benefits of an age-diverse workforce, only a small portion knows how to tackle this quickly and actively. In the end it comes down to three aspects: Management style, expectations of the workplace and communication." - Tessa Mountstephens, Managing Director THE BRIDGE international management consulting
Diversity in general is incredibly important to Millennials. According to a survey by Deloitte, 39% of Millennials feel businesses need to address age diversity. But creating a multi-generational workforce is not just important to them. Any employee will be hesitant to join an organization where they don’t see themselves represented.
A lack of generational diversity can negatively impact an employee’s performance. They may feel as though they are not appreciated, communicated to effectively, or respected. This lack of respect can lead to a high turnover rate. The fact is, turnover is expensive. To avoid both these human and monetary tolls, diversity and HR departments need to focus on generational diversity.
Why is generational diversity a challenge?
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when trying to encourage generational diversity is ageism. Also known as Age Discrimination, this is defined as stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination against people on the basis of their age. According to workplace surveys conducted by Glassdoor, nearly half of employees (45%) report having experienced or witnessed ageism.
In addition to age discrimination, communication between generations is a big challenge. According to scholar Amanda Grenier, writing for the Forbes Research Council, older and younger generations have different ways of speaking. This is due to having different social historical reference points and different culturally determined experiences.
"Preferred working and communication styles differ a lot: quick, informal chat messages without having to think about my language or references I would make, foster quick and flexible interactions. On the other hand, when interacting with older generations it often feels rehearsed as one is trying to follow a script due to respect or even fear." - Joshua Dario Hasenstab, General Coordination & Co-Founder RAIA Group
Generational diversity is not going away. If we want to create long-lasting businesses, we need to tackle these challenges.
How can we overcome these challenges?
The way you can create an age-diverse culture is by educating employees. Make sure that they understand the differences in history and communication styles for each generation. Help them reject the stereotypes and misinformation about generations perpetuated by media while at the same time understanding that every generation has developed their worldview in relation to the world they grew up in.
"It starts with representation of all generations at the table where decisions are made and ideas get discussed. All voices and opinions need to be heard. Then it comes down to awareness, feedback and action." - Behnoush Behdad-Lohmann, Global Head of Talent TÜV SÜD
Begin by having candid conversations with your teams about generational differences and similarities. Also, be sure to stop generational shaming — no more sarcastic comments about one generation or another.
From there, create multi-generational teams as often as possible, and intentionally find ways to have face-to-face interactions with members of different generations. Set up an employee resource group to address generational issues and make generational diversity a part of your ongoing initiatives.
Finally, set up a mentoring program. All generations can mentor each other. Each generation has a unique skillset that they can share with members of other generations. This will help them learn, first hand, how to communicate with each other, which is a skill that will serve them through the rest of their lives.
Executive Assistant to COO @TÜV SÜD
2yAs someone who would be labeled "younger generation" I can definitely say that I have experienced age-based bias in the past. There is often a lack of understanding for different points of view for example when it comes to work-life balance or remote working.