Age management: an essential tool in the multi-generational era

Technological innovation and the emergence of new expectations and points of view contribute to continuous changes in the world of work, a transformation which shows no sign of abating. Although there is frequent discussion of the gap between supply and demand, new organisational structures and flexibility on multiple fronts, the topic of multi-generational workplaces and even social environments receives less attention.

This is how Bradley Schurman – an expert in demographic change – describes the current situation. A situation where offices are becoming the crossroads for fully four different generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and GenZ. This cohabitation is dictated by longer life expectancy and the consequent increase in retirement ages, leading to both challenges and benefits.

Each generation has its own set of values, habits, mental structures, languages and competences which are the direct result of the social, economic and cultural context in which it was born and grew up. The multi-generational phenomenon thus lays the foundations for a rich cultural exchange of great potential, which is often undervalued or not completely exploited. It is therefore fundamental for companies to know how to manage these differences, facilitating a productive cohabitation which promotes reciprocal influence without generating conflict.

Understanding how a given generation experiences the world of work and what their needs and expectations are is essential to facilitate effective exchanges within the company. Here are the main differences:

• Baby Boomers: professionals who entered the world of work in the midst of an economic boom and who are now leaving it; they grew up with the idea of a job for life and often sacrificed work-life balance for career advancement. They are the least dissatisfied and most loyal generation, but also the one with the greatest difficulties with digitisation.
• Generation X: growing up in the shadow of the Boomers, this generation is characterised by a strong desire for independence. Gen-Xers are hard workers, obsessed with their careers and by the thought that their efforts will never bear the fruit of that of their parents. 
• Millennials: the generation which fully lived through the passage to the digital era, embracing its innovations and benefits. Millennials are the first generation to look for a good work-life balance, favouring benefits, developing their skills and flexibility, as well as being the first to give significant importance to the values of their company and employer. They are influenced by the choice to have a family, and look for working conditions which are supportive of this aspect.
• Generation Z: the first global community generation, who grew up with immediate access to anything with just a click. They look for inclusive and diverse working environments, and prioritise work-life balance and mental health, as well as flexible hours and the ability to work from home. A job for life is not something available to or even of interest to them, and neither are labels which limit their exploration or continuous training; they have no hesitation in leaving a company or a job which conflicts with their values. 

In this context, age-management becomes a fundamental component in managing diversity and inclusion within a company. It consists of a series of corporate strategies and initiatives dedicated to enhancing and exploiting the technical expertise and soft skills of the different generations present in the workplace, with the end goal of enriching the human capital and making the most of each individual worker in order to maximise company performance at a global level. Winning strategies in this area include mentoring and reverse mentoring:

• In the first case, a senior employee shadows a junior one with the goal of transferring the knowledge gained from their years of experience and introducing the new hire to the company culture and dynamics. 
• In the case of reverse mentoring, on the other hand, the reverse occurs – a junior employee shadows a senior one. This method is particularly useful for accelerating the adoption of new digital strategies and technologies from a  digital transition standpoint. 

There are famous cases which validate the strategic success of both approaches. In the field of mentoring, Bill Gates is undoubtedly an prime example. The American entrepreneur, programmer, computer scientist and philanthropist has on more than one occasion credited his mentor, legendary investor Warren Buffet, with some of his success, as he taught him to take on complex situations and develop a long-term vision. As far as reverse mentoring is concerned, the best example involves General Electric (GE): the company was one of the first to embrace this approach in 1999, when CEO Jack Welch, aware of the importance of digitisation, realised that the most effective way to guide this change was to make use of the competences of younger employees by having them shadow senior ones. 

Gli approcci sopra esposti contribuiscono a un arricchimento reciproco e all'integrazione delle competenze e degli assetti mentali, condizioni fondamentali per un ambiente lavorativo inclusivo, dinamico e innovativo. Assieme a politiche di welfare e formazione continua personalizzate possono fare la differenza nel valorizzare le qualità e competenze di tutto il team promuovendo la collaborazione e la contaminazione di idee.