There’s been a lot of media attention given to the multigenerational workplace, do you find it to be a viable subject or do you think it’s overplayed?
Tags: generations
There’s been a lot of media attention given to the multigenerational workplace, do you find it to be a viable subject or do you think it’s overplayed?
Tags: generations
January 9, 2008 at 1:29 pm
The subject of the multigenerational workplace is valid to a degree. Many studies have shown that individuals from different generations are motivated by different rewards. Evaluating your workforce and offering more appropriate rewards based on age group will improve motivation. However, the more valid point is that different INDIVIDUALS are motivated by different rewards. Although the average person in the age group of your workforce may value flextime, this may not be a motivator for some. My own experience has been that an organization is most effective when supervisors get to know their staff and tailor rewards to the individual.
January 22, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I certainly agree that this is a valid suject. Different generations provide diversity to the workplace but they do have different needs, both personal and professional. As a 60 something, I have spent over a quarter century in the professional arena and found that the need for flextime was great during the years I was raising children, while the need for social activities was higher in my single days. Professionally, the younger generation is looking to move up while many employees my age are more concerned with enjoying the work they perform and deriving satisifaction from the work. People at every age can bring a diversity of thought to the workplace as well. While youth brings that high energy and ‘out of the box’ style thinking, older workers have the experience and rationale to understand the risks and costs of implementing those ideas. Hard workers don’t come with a number on their foreheads, we need to embrace people of all ages in the workplace.