Optimizing and Managing the Multigenerational Workplace: 4 Best Practices for Employee Retention

For the first time in history, the average office often has multiple generations working together as a team.  Due to advances in medicine, multigenerational workforces in the US often include a record-setting five generations.  There are many benefits of multigenerational diversity in the workplace, but there are also significant challenges.  Workplaces with younger generations and older generations are seeing more challenges due to differing communication styles, working styles, work hours, and prioritization of work-life balance.  These issues profoundly impact employee engagement and employee retention rates.  This article outlines essential tactics for managing a multigenerational workplace.  

4 Best Practices for Managing a Multigenerational Workplace 

1. Understand the fundamental values and priorities of each generation. 

While all age groups have commonalities, each generation has grown up in a different world.  As a result, they have their own specific values.  These values deeply impact their professional development, problem-solving, interactions with coworkers, and more.  Employers must understand the standards, priorities, and ethics of each generation.  They should strive to demonstrate respect for each generation and ensure employees feel heard and valued.  These generations are:  

• Traditionalists, born between 1928 and 1945 
• Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964 
• Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980 
• Generation Y (Millennials), born between 1981 and 1996 
• Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012 

Some common examples of information employers in a multigenerational workplace should know are:  

• Baby Boomers and Traditionalists: Tend to be workaholics who find fulfillment via work. They’re focused on funding their retirements. Many may want to work part-time or as consultants, instead of retiring.  
• Generation X and Millennials: Often take an entrepreneurial approach to work.  They prefer direct communication and a social, friendly work environment.  About 75% of the workforce is currently comprised of millennials.  
• Generation Z: Notably pickier about their company culture and workplace. They seek companies that are also supporting social justice initiatives. They also tend to want more autonomy in their work life.  
   

2. Use anonymous surveys to reveal current employee engagement and company culture weaknesses. 

To boost employee retention when managing a multigenerational workforce, it’s essential to know how the whole team feels about the company culture: younger employees, older employees, etc.  Anonymous surveys (MP offers tools to help conduct and analyze these) will help employers ascertain what is going well and what should be improved in their workplace.  This tactic may be especially crucial if employees are working remotely.  It’s more challenging to gauge employee engagement when staff doesn’t interact with their managers or teammates frequently during the workday.  

3. Review survey feedback and take action. 

Employers who request input from their team must be ready to take action.  If they request feedback but ignore it, this will create more tension between employees and management.  In addition to reviewing survey results, employers may want to augment their data with one-on-ones.  They may want to invite any employees interested in giving feedback in a confidential interview.  It’s important they know there will not be any retaliation or negative consequences for their honest feedback.  When employers review the information they gather, they may want to work with a talent management consulting company, such as Empower Behavioral Services.  Experts at these companies assist with analyzing results and understanding what must be addressed in a multigenerational workplace.  

4. Implement an approach and continue to review and revise as needed. 

Organizations should develop and implement plans to improve their workplace for all generations.  Plans may include training for managers (or even the whole team) on generational differences and communication in the workplace.  Organizations may want to publicly roll out some (or all) of their initiatives to employees.  The team will often appreciate the transparency and the commitment to developing a better company culture.  Additionally, some workplaces benefit from helping employees create committees that develop and support company culture initiatives.  Committees would appeal to younger generations, who tend to seek a less hierarchical environment and value a warm, supportive culture.  Lastly, employers should not “set and forget” new culture initiatives when managing a multigenerational workplace.  Some strategies may work, while others need adjustments.  An organization should continue seeking feedback from employees in every generation and level of the company.  They may do this via:  

• Surveys 
• Creating specific processes for sharing feedback, including a designated recipient (such as HR) 
• Holding town hall-style meetings to hear how things are going 
• Checking their Glassdoor reviews