The Generation Game!

In her book, The Millennial Myth: Transforming Misunderstanding Into Workplace Breakthroughs, Crystal Kadakia writes, ‘We thrive when we are pulled by the future, not pushed by the past’. This is an idea that rings very true for me, especially when I consider what it means to be a good leader in the business world of today. The future is constantly pulling us forward.I If we resist, we risk drowning as the incoming tide of change overtakes us. In this piece, I look at the challenges posed by the constantly shifting tide of demographics in today’s workforce, particularly when it comes to employee engagement, and what we can do to overcome them.

Diving Into The Talent Pool...

The talent pool of today is virtually unrecognisable compared to that of twenty years ago. Right now, the main factor driving change is demographics. We are on the cusp of a profound global shift in the composition of the world’s workforce. The baby boomer generation are retiring later, while Generation Y or millennials are just beginning their career. Sandwiched in-between is the ‘middle child’, Generation X, while the new kid on the block, Generation Z is waiting in the wings.

We are now encountering a truly multigenerational global workforce, with wildly different habits, expectations, and approaches to work. Already, 40%-50% of HR professionals have witnessed discord as a direct consequence of generation gaps, as global macro demographics filter down to organisational level. Forbes magazine has even started calling generational conflict a ‘growth industry’ for consultants. Astute leadership will be required if this generational melting pot is to be managed effectively.

Dawn of the Millenials...

The single most significant group in the pot are millennials. Their arrival onto the scene is important for a variety of reasons. Firstly, their sheer volume is enough to demand our attention.. Millennials are expected to account for 50% of the global workforce by 2020, and 75% of the workforce by 2030. In the United States, they have already overtaken ‘Generation Xers’ in the workplace. If there is strength in numbers, millennials are already well on their way to becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Millennials come with impressive credentials. Generation Y are the most educated of any previous generation and, having grown up with technology, are also the most technically knowledgeable. They have come of age in the era of instant gratification, constant connection to technology and immediate access to a vast world of information. In this sense, millennials are a completely different breed to their forerunners.

Rise of the Planet of the Millenials...

The arrival of millennials is fundamentally altering the dynamics of the workforce. Aside from their tech skills, they bring a whole new attitude to the world of work. They have a vastly different world view, especially when it comes to modes of working. They work in a much more collaborative way, valuing diversity and inclusivity. Flexibility in work is also very important to Generation Y; they want to have the latitude to choose their own working hours and the shape of their working day. This comes from a desire to have a better work/life balance than their generational predecessors.

This is not to say that they don’t work hard. It simply means that they work differently. Or, if we consider working fewer hours does not necessarily mean reduced productivity or poor quality of work, it may mean that millennials are simply working smarter. This is backed up by findings of a recent study by PwC which observed that ‘millennials are willing to give up some of their pay and slow the pace of promotion in their careers in exchange for fewer working hours’. Similarly, Deloitte’s 2017 Millennial Survey found that Generation Y wants ‘freelance flexibility with full-time stability.’ In other words, the talent pool of today don’t live to work, they work to live.

Millennials, then, are clearly making waves in the talent pool of today, which will become tsunamis in the talent pool of tomorrow. After all, what is newly trending today will be tomorrow’s new normal. Leaders cannot expect to manage their people today in the same way they did yesterday. They are now faced with a stark choice: they can either rise to the challenges posed by Generation Y or fall on their own rusty sword. They can, in short, either adapt or die.

However, any approach to leadership in the 21st century must bear in mind that the demographic challenges we face today do not start and finish with millennials. It is a much broader beast than that. In this multigenerational working world, bias (conscious or unconscious) can result in the establishment of opposing camps within a team. This is what I call ‘generational factionalism’.

War of the Planet of the Millenial...

Older generations may perceive their younger colleagues as whimsical, demanding, and obsessed with technology. On the flip side, millennials may see their older counterparts as staid and unimaginative. Businesses need to meld these diverse groups to form a cohesive team. The right combination of opportunities, rewards and work arrangements need to be provided, to keep all individuals, not just millennials, happy and motivated.

Against this backdrop, promoting employee engagement within your team becomes ever more challenging. What can you do about it?

Your Game Plan:

• Be aware that generational conflict among your people poses a very real risk. Bridge the gap by introducing two-way mentoring, coaching programmes, or any other form of collaboration that works in your organisation.
•  Embrace your generational mix and build it into your project teams. This encourages collaboration and helps to avoid -generational factionalism. Championing diversity within your team will enable you to harness each individual’s creativity, expertise, drive, entrepreneurial spirit and resourcefulness. An open, more accepting environment will go a long way toward bridging the generational gaps within your team.
• Be flexible in both your management style and your communication style. One approach may be great for millennials but may alienate the baby-boomers and vice versa. One style definitely doesn’t fit all.
• Create work flexibility by being reducing arbitrary restrictions on where and when they work.
• Be creative when organising team-building activities. These are a great way to bring generations together, but only if they’re inclusive. If team-building pursuits cater for one generation over another, the only thing they will achieve is further generational entrenchment.