The 'Juniorization' Of Organizations: Why This Idea Should Be Put In Time-Out

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The "juniorization" of organizations is a phenomenon in many businesses these days. This is where younger workers, all in the name of saving money, are swiftly replacing older workers. Here are some things to consider before jumping on this bandwagon.

Experience matters: Early on in my career, I worked in the oil industry. Things were going great until the price of oil dropped dramatically. With less than a year of experience under my belt, I found myself unemployed. Confused, I asked my older co-worker why I was chosen. He explained to me that with his experience, he could do his job and mine. Clearly the opposite was not true.

Hiring young people to do the work of experienced people to save money simply doesn't add up. Sure, you can save a few bucks on the front end, but you will most certainly lose money when you factor in employee productivity and high turnover that is common among junior workers.

Drama: Younger workers often bring lots of drama to the workplace. Now before you send me a hate email, let me explain. When you are young, everything seems like a big deal. You are willing to go to the ends of the earth for your convictions. As time goes on, you realize that not everything is worth fighting for. You learn to pick and choose your battles more wisely. You also get a lot better at mastering productive relationships.

My clients often reach out to me for help dealing with the drama that seems to be a daily occurrence. That's because many of their leaders have not been vetted properly. Often times, they are the source of the drama. Think about this the next time you decide to promote or hire an inexperienced leader and you make the decision not to provide him or her with proper training or a coach.

Diversity: We talk a lot about diversity in terms of race and gender, but often ignore the concept of age diversity. While it may not seem all that cool to have people in your organization who aren't interested in joining the company's Ultimate Frisbee team, it certainly should not be a game stopper. Sometimes you need someone who can pull you back, before you go over the edge. That someone is usually a more experienced worker who has been on the edge himself.

Take a good look at your employee base. Does everyone act and look the same? Don't be afraid to mix things up!

Stability: Companies are complaining how fickle workers are today. They are usually talking about young people who think nothing of changing jobs as often as they change their socks. I, for one, can't blame them. There are so many opportunities out there that it's like being a kid in the candy store. You want to try everything you see.

Mature workers are less inclined to jump ship the moment a bigger boat comes calling. They are on a different journey than their younger counterparts. Consider this before setting your mature workers out to sea.

? 2019, Matuson Consulting.

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