Bridging the generation gap

Millennials are perceived as having a different work ethic to Baby Boomers, but that is not necessarily the case.

We hear a lot these days about a "war" between generations - particularly between the "entitled" Millennials and "stoic, hard working" Baby Boomers. But how much of the stereotypes are true?

Robert Walters has recently released a white paper entitled Generation Gaps to explore how employers can get the most from age diversity.

Some of the findings were: More than six out of 10 professionals in every age group prefer to work collaboratively, instead of alone or with limited contact with others.

Workers of all age want to communicate in similar ways, with more than half of every generation preferring to talk directly with people - face-to-face, phone or Skype - versus email, text or using other online messaging app.

Salary and benefits are cited by all generations as the most important factor when choosing an employer.

The white paper also found regardless of age, making an impact and meaningful work was one of the key drivers for professionals.

All three generations rated "being open and honest" as the most important trait of a leader, followed by "recognising performance" (which ranked second equal), yet hiring managers ranked "recognising performance" (which came fourth) as the most valued trait.

Shay Peters, New Zealand Country Manger for Robert Walters, says it's important for business leaders to note that of topmost importance for all the generations was opportunities for growth and learning.

Peters says he thinks age prejudice is having an impact on workplaces.

"I think that at the 60s age bracket it's harder to get back into work after being made redundant. Employers need to take into account, and I think they are starting to, that people in that age bracket can actually offer a lot, even if it's short-term as they may want to retire soon.

"They've got a lot of skills and institutional knowledge within their specialisations -- and with the population getting older, there's going to be a lot of people in that bracket."

He says there are plenty of stereotypes around age. The Millennials/Gen Y are "certainly seen as a generation wanting first and doing second. A generation that's impatient for advancement and growth in their role.

"There's a lot of inherent confidence in that generation. They have a lot of skills to offer -- they are advanced in their use of technology, particularly social media.

"Gen X is stuck in the middle - these people are seen to respect hierarchy more than Millennials do. They were brought up by Baby Boomers who had that instilled in them. Gen Y have respect for performance and leadership, but not a title.

"If you have a look at the Baby Boomer generation - it is quite hierarchical. It's the generation who had parents who lived through the wars. There's a respect for hierarchy. Their approach to the workplace is different to the other generations ... "

How useful are these stereotypes actually? Peters says, "Well, I suppose it's a commonly-held belief about the generations. I don't think they're particularly useful. One distinction that is often used is Millennials are good at technology, and yes, they were born with it - however we see in all the generations very advanced use of technology and that can turn the stereotypes on their head."

Peters agrees the acceptance of stereotypes can prevent management from getting optimal performance from their employees.

"It depends on how tightly they hold to those assumptions. It's when you're not giving employees the chance to prove you wrong that it's likely that you'll alienate them."

Also, you can also miss a trick by believing Baby Boomers are set in their ways and therefore decide not to give them learning opportunities. "We see through the data that each generation is motivated by learning and development."

Another way stereotypes can be dangerous is they can cause conflict in the work situation. "And that's one of the things that came up - the Baby Boomers perceived that Millennials have a different work ethic and that's not necessarily the case - it's just they may have a different style which is very outcome based. For them it's not about hard work, it's results."

Peters says age diversity is highly important for the workplace. "All diversity is important. Each generation can challenge each other. If you've got one category of worker there's no real challenge.

All diversity - different approaches, different worldviews are important. It's a good thing."

He says mentoring is key between the generations - this often bridges the gap and allays conflict in the workplace.

"It creates more mutual understanding and brings better results.

"To make age diversity work, a mentoring scheme or any learning and development that is not compartmentalised for one generation is key. Each generation can see how the other's approach can work.

"I think if you actively seek generational diversity and acknowledge that each generation brings something that helps to get rid of the stereotypes.

"Hopefully what we're getting to is that everyone's contributing. I've seen workplace get very stagnant when they're not encouraging employees to learn.

"I've been in a workplace that was very male, and found it eventually stagnated. Once we brought in gender diversity it grew exponentially."

Of managers who don't see the growth potential of their older employees, Peters says: "Managers who put people into a stereotype will find their own careers stagnating. They become irrelevant as it's about how you get output from your team.

"If you're ignoring your employees because they happen to be older, you'll get high turnover. If this is the case you're not going to last too long either."