Is your organization ready to help multigenerational workforces thrive?
Embracing the strengths of both generations fosters a dynamic and resilient workplace culture where innovation and experience go hand in hand.
Gen Zers are often pitted against their baby boomer colleagues, characterized alternatively as troublemakers or trailblazers, depending on how you view their willingness to challenge traditional workplace norms.
Fostering inclusive multigenerational workplaces will require intentional culture building and engagement strategies, but the process doesn’t need to be as difficult as organizational leaders may fear. After all, boomers and Gen Z have more in common than you might think.
Gen Z and baby boomers’ values aren’t so different
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped our society’s attitude toward work overnight. But Gen Z, who entered their first professional jobs on the eve of the pandemic, and baby boomers, who approached retirement age during it, felt the shift more acutely than anyone.
While on opposite ends of the career spectrum, COVID pushed both generations to contemplate where work fits into the bigger picture of their lives and how they want to spend their time. Many boomers and Gen Zers reached the same conclusion: Work is just one aspect of a rich, fulfilling life—it is not the only aspect!
Boomers responded to the pandemic by retiring at accelerated rates, opting to prioritize spending time with family and friends, and on personal passions. It’s estimated there would currently be two million more workers aged 55 and older in the U.S. labor force had the pandemic not happened.
Gen Z, with many working years ahead of them, took a different tactic to dealing with the pandemic’s impact: They went on TikTok.
Many Gen Z workers are vocal on social media about their dissatisfaction with the hustle culture status quo and voice strong preference for value-driven companies. They’re more comfortable asserting work-life boundaries than previous generations and less likely to feel defined by their jobs. Less than two-thirds of Gen Zers already in the workforce say work is a significant part of their identity, versus 86% of their bosses.
Preparing for a multigenerational future
Company leaders are in a position to refocus on planning for the future of their workforces. And as the pandemic demonstrated, work values across generations aren’t so dissimilar. To successfully support multiple generations of workers, you’ll need to do a few things:
Adopt a borderless mentality
As the first generation of digital natives, Gen Z believes work shouldn’t be confined to a physical location or specific locality. They’re used to connecting with people across the globe via social media, and traditional arguments against disparate working locations don’t resonate with them.
A work-from-anywhere approach benefits older generations of workers, too — especially boomers. Offering work location and schedule flexibility can help keep boomers in the workforce at a stage when they might otherwise choose to deprioritize work in favor of spending more time on personal projects and passions.
For example, a flexible work environment enables grandparents to share caregiving responsibilities for grandchildren and affords them more freedom to travel or make time for hobbies. This makes it easier for your organization to retain senior staffers with deep expertise and institutional knowledge, maintaining continuity, mentorship, and a strong organizational memory.
Bolster digital infrastructure
Gen Z expects the same level of digital fluidity at work that they experience in the rest of their lives. Outdated, clunky systems that hinder smooth workflows will be a significant source of frustration for them.
Though older generations may be initially resistant to change, infrastructure upgrades are in their best interest, too. Modern tech stacks support flexible work environments and streamline processes. This enables your most seasoned employees to focus their time on strategic initiatives where their deep expertise and experience adds the most value.
Adopting advanced technology can also help your organization avoid the brain drain that occurs when senior employees retire or leave without passing on their institutional knowledge. Solutions that incorporate automation can replace or simplify legacy administrative processes, while AI tools can help capture and document the expertise and processes that senior employees have developed over the years. This ensures that critical knowledge is preserved and can be easily accessed by future generations of workers.
As you introduce new technology systems, be sure to clearly communicate their benefits, dedicate time to answering questions and provide thorough training to all employees. Additionally, involving employees in the implementation process can generate valuable insights and alleviate resistance by fostering a sense of ownership.
Live your values
To attract and retain top talent in today’s diverse workforce, it’s important to authentically demonstrate that your company values aren’t just words on a page. Nearly half of Gen Zers have turned down an employer based on their personal ethics or beliefs. (That’s also true for 40% of millennials.)
Building worker trust and loyalty requires ongoing, intentional actions that demonstrate your commitment to upholding values like diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and ethical business practices.
Related: Connecting generations through reciprocal feedback
A good place to start is by forming an internal advisory group of employees willing to give input on company objectives and initiatives. Ideally, this group would comprise employees of different generations and backgrounds. Remember, it’s not just about satisfying Gen Z — your older generations of employees should be equally represented.
But your internal advisory group won’t have all the answers, especially if you’re looking to grow your workforce. Your HR team and leadership should be engaged in social listening activities that gather insights from external sources as well. This includes monitoring social media platforms, industry forums, and employee review sites to understand the broader trends and sentiments within the job market — and how your organization stacks up.
Age inclusivity creates organizational success
Many of today’s most established, well-respected companies owe their success to baby boomers’ dedicated work ethic over many years of service. But these same organizations understand change is necessary for growth.
After all, Gen Z and baby boomers’ values aren’t so far apart. Gen Z is just more willing to vocalize them — and that’s a good thing for everyone if it pushes organizations to be more thoughtful about how they can support their workforces at all career stages. Embracing the strengths of both generations fosters a dynamic and resilient workplace culture where innovation and experience go hand in hand.
Opal Wagnac, SVP of Market and Product Strategy, isolved