Working with all ages

Contrary to common perceptions, employees of all generations share what are essentially similar values and desires. Research by Jennifer Deal, of the Centre for Creative Leadership, says the inherent desire for power and influence sits at the base of most inter-generational conflict. Her latest book, Retiring the Generation Gap, looks at the common disconnects between generations in the workplace – but finds far more similarities than differences.

As well as the chance to influence events around them, all generations appear to want and demand respect, trust, learning opportunities and valuable coaching. In the same way, there are certain things that all generations say they avoid wherever possible: change and organisational politics being among the most mentioned.

What this means, Deal says, is that organisations don’t necessarily need to differentiate their policies according to the often-used generational categories of Ys, Xs and Baby Boomers. Organisations that provide things that all employees want – such as good compensation, advancement opportunities, and high-quality personal lives – can help ensure higher employee retention, no matter what the age-profile of their workforce. Deal says differences between generations may only exist in the definitions and modes of expression of things that everyone shares in common.

Most importantly, it is never a decisive element in determining the productivity of a talent. “I feel that categorising workers by generations should not be an explicit expression of their differences during work,” Eugene Tan, Area Director, HR, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore says. “Our colleagues know that a cooperative spirit is imperative, regardless of age. They will work together with the common objective of achieving our goals.”

While he says formal categorisation of generations is “not relevant” to the hospitality profession, he does quickly add that understanding the broad differences between age groups can assist when designing appropriate HR policies, processes and work systems. “Job scopes and tasks have to be differentiated in order to ensure commitment from the various groups,” Tan says. “They can still work together, provided that there is space and flexibility to work around the differences while supporting their needs at the same time.”

What is the generational divide?

But is it possible to treat everyone the same way, given that each generation is driven by different motivations and has different preferred management styles? According to Karen Tok, Managing Director, ScienTec Consulting, the answer is a simple “no”. She feels it is often useful to understand the differences between the generations, so that HR can implement the right reward systems, build the desired work environment, and create the required leadership style for the right team. “Baby Boomers believe in hard work and a culture of overwork,” she says as an example. “They may not adjust to workplace flexibility and remote work trends.

On the other hand, Tok observes that Generation Y are often more tech-savvy and great multi-taskers. “They prefer communication through email and text (rather than) face-to-face interaction,” she says. “They can get lots done in a shorter time with technology and working on multiple tasks at one go.”

Generation Y workers also tend to be less fearful about questioning authority, but at the same time crave attention and assurance from their bosses. “They have high expectations from employers and they can appreciate fun at work.”

Acknowledge, don’t categorise

HR experts agree that whilst it is important to acknowledge some general differences between employees of different ages, it is unwise to live only by standard definitions such as Generations X, Y and Baby Boomers. “As an HR professional, I will treat and respect all employees equally,” Kok Ee Lan, adjunct associate professor, Nanyang Business School (NBS), observes. “It is important, however, to come up with policies and practices that are flexible enough to cope with the different generations of the workforce.”

Stewart Lloyd Arnold, a lecturer in NBS’ Division of Strategy, Management and Organisation, agrees. “We can vary our interpersonal approaches using a general understanding of age effects on employee and manager preferences, expectations and responses,” he suggests. For example, HR will need to “get to the point” quickly when it comes to Generation Y staff, giving specific feedback, advice, and take home-points.

The disadvantages are, however, that people tend to stereotype. Arnold says recent research in Singapore indicates that younger workers think older people don’t perform as well, even though actual performance data shows this is generally not the case. Conversely, older workers tend to think of younger workers as “cocky” or “arrogant”, whereas younger workers say they actually have a lot of respect for older workers (they perhaps just don’t show it all the time.). The challenge, Arnold says, lies in overcoming these stereotypes. “HR must learn to create a culture of transparency, communication and consistency amidst the generation gaps.”

Tan advocates for HR to treat each categorisation, generalisation or even stereotype as a tool, helping HR to understand underlying difference in the needs, motivational drivers, differentiation towards tasks, learning and development needs of different staff.