Four major generations are currently working together in the labor market. The oldest baby boomers, now retired with few exceptions, the Xs born between 1960 and 1983, the millennial generation, and the youngest workers, Gen Z. It is natural that these age groups are motivated by different things, so HR needs to employ different strategies to increase their engagement. Here are some useful tips!
In just a few decades, information technology has transformed our lives to a degree that has hardly been seen in centuries. The pace of change has also increased, with innovations coming at an ever-increasing pace, and there is no sign of this pace slowing down. Work, workplaces, and even workplace culture have changed: there are now four generations working together, all of whom have been socialized, educated, and started working in very different ways. They have different values, needs, communication styles, and tools. Therefore, employers and HR need to plan with these generational differences in mind to successfully motivate the different age groups, create harmonious collaboration, and increase their engagement.
Most of the oldest workers had been working for a long time when personal computers started to proliferate, were in their 40s and 50s when they could start searching social media for former classmates and colleagues, and their children and grandchildren were already learning to use their smartphones. Job stability and loyalty are extremely important to them, and the recognition and appreciation of their skills and experience is their greatest motivation.
The baby boomer generation appreciates it when employers publicly or personally highlight and praise their achievements and contributions. It is also worthwhile to establish awards at the company level to recognize the decades of professional work of this generation. It is also good to include health and pension benefits in their benefits packages.
Older workers are usually eager to share their knowledge with younger generations, and it is particularly rewarding and motivating for them to be counted on by their employers. But mentoring programs also work very well in the other direction, when younger workers support older workers in learning new technologies, for example. Knowledge sharing within a company creates value at both individual and company levels. Baby boomer workers can be given a huge boost if they feel that they are important and valuable members of the team and that their employer values their professional skills and even invests in keeping them up to date with the latest trends.
Xs are often referred to as the bridge, the transition between analog and digital communication. They learned and started working in the era of personal contact, telephone, and fax, but to remain competitive in the labor market they had to learn new things in their adult lives. This is a generation that is professionally self-aware, very independent and considers traditional, more personal contact much more valuable, for which the IT revolution has come as a kind of supplement, an additional tool.
This age group appreciates autonomy, responsibility, and even autonomy in their professional lives, and is happy to develop their skills. If we want to motivate this generation even more, it is worth providing them with continuous learning opportunities, professional training, and encouragement to manage the tasks entrusted to them.
As independence is very important for this age group, they are highly motivated by the possibility of remote working and working flexible hours. Maintaining a work-life balance is a core value for them, so any support to this end will strengthen their commitment to their employer.
As with the previous age groups, the point in one's life when the big IT boom arrived is crucial. The millennial generation is the generation that has been exposed to digital tools and opportunities at their most receptive age and has therefore learned about them gradually from the beginning. They are the pioneers of the digital world, who have already shaped and developed the info-communication age. For this ambitious generation, teamwork and collaboration are core values, as is continuous career development, and they value constructive feedback in their work.
There is almost nothing more engaging for Generation Y than seeing a clear, transparent career path and development opportunities in the workplace. If they can see clearly what comes next in their career, and where they can go from here, they will be motivated to stay with their employer in the long term. In-company training, mentoring programs, and clear promotion options are highly valued by this generation and might be rewarded with commitment.
Collaboration, teamwork, and the pooling of individual talents are a natural need for this generation at work. However, for cooperation to take place, employers need to provide opportunities, tools, and a supportive environment. Feedback is also essential, and effective teamwork and individual success should be valued. For Generation Y workers, a single end-of-year appraisal is alienating; they derive real motivation from regular, clear feedback.
Younger workers do not remember a world before the internet, smartphones, and social media. They move more naturally in the digital space than any previous generation, and digital connectivity is not a new form, it's a fundamental part of their way of life. So is immediacy! They are used to much higher speeds than their older colleagues, so they want to move at a faster pace in their careers, and they don't like small pauses and time lags in communication, especially in feedback. They like to work in an inclusive, diverse environment that supports new ideas and approaches.
The more formal communication style is often cumbersome, alienating, and unnecessary for Gen Z members. Clear, simple, and short messages are more likely to get the job done. It's the same with administrative tasks and even career opportunities: this generation prefers to work in transparent workplaces free of unnecessary formalities.
Generation Z can be very well motivated if employers are open to new technologies, and new perspectives and encourage them to experiment and develop their talents and creativity. HR can also do a lot to make this innovative approach commonplace in internal communication, through digital platforms, e-learning options, online feedback, and encouraging the sharing of opinions and ideas.
Understanding the differences and characteristics of each generation is now essential for harmonious and productive cooperation in the workplace. Different motivations and perspectives enrich the corporate culture, so it is in the interest of employers to create conditions and opportunities that are flexible to the needs of each age group.
