Thought Leadership in Action

Over the past 10 years, organizations have seen a sharp increase in the number of older Americans in the workplace as aging baby boomers continue to work instead of retiring – out of choice or due to economic reasons. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people aged 65 and older in the labor force (i.e., working or looking for work) soared from 4.2 million in 2000 to 6.7 million in 2010.

As young people start careers and workers in mid-life and those in their 60s and beyond work together in greater numbers than ever, companies are faced with the challenge of contention in the workplace between these different generations who often approach their careers and how to do their jobs effectively very differently.

Generational Conflicts on the Job

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) surveyed 400 randomly selected SHRM members in 2011 and found that conflicts between generations exist in almost 3/4 of organizations polled, especially in larger ones. Only companies with fewer than 500 employees reported little to no intergenerational conflict in their workplaces.

The SHRM “Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace” survey noted that over the coming year, five generations will be represented in the U.S. workforce. Because multigenerational discord can impede workplace relationships and lower engagement, it is an issue that HR leaders must understand and address with proactive strategies.

Specific Generational Issues Revealed by the SHRM Research Include:

• 47% of younger workers complained that older managers were micromanagers and resisted change.
• Almost 1/3 of older respondents were upset by what they perceived as younger workers’ need for supervision, lack of respect for authority, and general informality. Inappropriate dress topped their list of complaints, followed closely by a perceived poor work ethic in younger workers.
• 38% of older managers expressed concern with younger employees “inappropriate use or excessive reliance on technology.”
• 31% of younger workers responded that older managers had an “aversion to technology.”
• Millennials linked effective and flexible workplaces with long-term productivity; about 1/3 of survey respondents said older managers did not place enough importance on work/life balance, including flexibility.

Soothing and Integrating Generational Differences

Recognizing how different generational attitudes and approaches to work can be used positively in the workplace can be key to resolving intergenerational conflicts. In his book The Generational Imperative: Understanding Generational Differences in the Workplace, Marketplace, and Living Room, business consultant Chuck Underwood, who specializes in helping organizations with these issues, points out that older workers tend to be skilled at one-on-one relationships and can effectively serve as mentors to younger employees who may lack basic workplace interpersonal skills, including common courtesy and team play. On the other hand, Underwood states younger workers offer an energizing, entrepreneurial spirit that can be encouraged to help older workers with “out-of- the-box” thinking and innovations.

In a new book titled, Managing the Older Worker: How to Prepare for the New Organizational Order, Peter Cappelli, director of the Wharton Business School’s Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania , and Bill Novelli, former CEO of AARP, discuss how a multigenerational workforce can be managed. They point out that one especially critical source of intergenerational conflict that HR professionals need to address is the issue of younger supervisors managing older workers.

In a recent interview with Forbes magazine, Cappelli emphasized that younger supervisors need to change the usual model of management when working with older workers who often have more expertise than the supervisors. “Supervisors have to manage (older workers) in a way that is more empowering. They have to say, ‘Here is a project; we want your ideas on how to get it done,’” Cappelli stated.

Are organizations recognizing and addressing the multi-faceted issue of generational conflict in the workplace? The SHRM survey concluded that, in fact, over half of the organizations polled are actively working on the problem. The most common tool being used (mentioned by 61 respondents) is coaching and mentoring for managers. Nearly 47% revealed they have increased or implemented coaching for non-managers and 38% said they increased training in zeroing in on job expectations for new hires.