Hiring And Creating A Successful Multi-Generational Workforce
A multigenerational workforce is made up of people from a diversity of generational cohorts. It’s important to remember generation cohorts, or groups, are simply just guidelines. Generational labels speak to the events and society/culture of a specific point and range in time that most individuals in that cohort or group experienced in a shared way.
For me, I was born in 1984, a pretty traditional Millennial. I’m old enough to know how to balance a checkbook but young enough to ask why the heck are people still balancing checkbooks- it’s all online! At work, I tend to align more with a Baby Boomer mentality- hard work, get stuff done, be the first one in the office and the last one to go home at night- kind of approach. Even though I am a Millennial, I don’t necessarily adhere to the socially constructed expectations of what a Millennial should be at work.
Be Careful Of Stereotypes
Type casting workers into their stereotypical generational cohort at work brings about many challenges. A Gen X manager may assume a Gen Z intern knows how to run a social media account just by virtue of being a member of Gen Z, even if that person has no experience or history doing such a task in the professional workplace.
Assuming skillset, ability or approach based on generation discounts the individual’s unique qualifications and interests. Just because you are Gen Z doesn’t necessarily mean you want to run social media, in all likelihood you could, but does it align with your professional goals and make you happy? Perhaps not.
Leverage Previous Experience
The Baby Boomer generation is increasingly finding challenges in exploring their ‘second act’ or a career pivot. Since Boomers have been working in a particular field or industry the longest in the job market, many employers want to tap them as more of an advisor or content expert in the space they know best — their past experience. But many Boomers are ready for something new, something different than what they have been doing for 25 years.
I would urge employers to see the transferable skill set experienced folks have developed in one industry and think creatively about how their past accomplishments and impact might connect to their future aptitude. People want to feel pride in their work and their accomplishments, that is not something new to today’s workforce. Stereotyping generations and ascribing what people can or can’t do limits their ability to try new things and grow.
Get To Know Your People
As a hiring manager, it’s incredibly important to take the time to get to know your workforce. Learn their values, guiding principles and their motivations regardless of their generational cohort. I personally know Gen Z folks that don’t want to work from home and aren’t comfortable with technology. I also know many folks over the age of 50 that are doing some of their best work at home, leveraging new and innovative advanced technologies they are teaching themselves.
My top tip for hiring and creating a multigenerational workforce is to take the time to get to know the individuals that make up your team. Learn their strengths, weaknesses, passion projects and hobbies. Find ways to value their uniqueness and support them in aligning their personal goals with the company’s goals.
Creating an environment where people can find joy, excitement and engagement in their work and the empowerment to excel in a way that leverages their strengths and uniqueness is the type of workplace all generations want to be part of. If you focus on creating a place people want to work, diverse folks from all generations and backgrounds will thrive.
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Meet The Writer!
Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com
