How to Run a Thriving Multigenerational Team


By Brian Regan, President, Semper International


The biggest order of the year just came into your organization. It will re- quire all kinds of skills to fulfill. You need the vet- eran craftsmanship of lead sheetfed press operators and the technological inge- nuity of younger graphic artists. How will these two


teams work together? What common ground can they find to complete this project?


The Magazine 6 5.2017


Managing a multigenerational workforce is not a simple task. It requires bridging many cultural and societal gaps. As leaders, we need to develop a way to minimize the areas of potential conflict. We must embrace and maximize the strengths of every employee, regardless of his or her generational tag, and empower our multigenerational team.


The Big Question How do we integrate employees from various genera- tions into one thriving team? Start by identifying who makes up the multigenerational workforce. Currently, there are five generations in the workplace with differ- ent characteristics, expectations, and work styles. Here are the generation groups who make up the workforce:


• Traditionalists (1922–1945) are working longer than generations before them due to the recession in the late 1990s and the fact that they are living longer. This group values strong leadership and loyalty. They prefer face-to-face meetings and many of them have worked for the same company their entire career. This group makes up the smallest population in the workplace.


• Baby boomers (1946–1964) are nearing retirement age but also working longer. Baby boomers look for stability and prefer to stay with a company long- term. They like the structure and hierarchy of tra- ditional companies.


• Generation X (1965–1980) is your typical middle manager level or senior leader in many organiza- tions. Gen Xers are self-reliant and many grew up as latchkey kids. They are hard working and tech literate with a focus on work/life balance.


• Generation Y (1981–1994) is also known as the millennial generation. They are now the largest population of employees in the work- force. Millennials are the technology generation who understand social media and technology- enabled work better than previous generations. They like workplace flexibility and constant feed- back. Millennials can get bored easily and are eager to move up the corporate ladder.


• Generation Z (1994–2012) is just staring to enter the workforce. They are digital natives and can use technology in ways that previous generations cannot fathom.


The vast range of skills and career mindsets in today’s workforce poses a unique challenge to managers who lead teams that could have an age range of 20–80.


Source Talent from Each Generation There are some key similarities and differences in sourcing workers from each generation. All gener- ations are now using mobile devices for their job searches. Online postings and job board apps are commonly used, albeit at higher rates for millennials than baby boomers.


SOLUTIONS


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