Whether you’re a baby boomer on the cusp of retirement or a Gen Zer just starting your career, we’re all familiar with the stereotypes regarding generational differences: “Gen Z has the attention span of a goldfish;” “Young people have no work ethic;” “Boomers are resistant to technology.”
Even seemingly positive labels — like which generation is most tech-savvy or who naturally fits leadership roles — can have negative effects for those who differ from these perceived norms. This “us vs. them” tendency to make assumptions and generalize those outside of our own sphere of experience is, unfortunately, human nature.
To sift through the preconceptions and get to the realities of generational differences in the workplace, and their implications for training, let’s take a look at what the research and industry experts have to say.
Separating Fact From Fiction
Younger generations have been deemed undedicated or aloof as they “quiet quit” and “job hop,” but the data tells a different story. Gen Zers and younger millennials reported significantly higher levels of work-related stress and burnout than did their older counterparts, and they indicated feeling disconnected from their workplace and co-workers. It should come as no surprise, then, that globally, 54% of workers under 40 are actively seeking a new job, or “job hopping” as some call it. It isn’t that they don’t care about their jobs, it’s that their jobs aren’t giving them a reason to care.
However, according to Gallup’s 2023 “State of the Global Workplace” report, this lack of engagement is not unique to young people. Globally, employee engagement levels are low across age groups: 77% of those under 40 and 76% of those over 40 reported not being engaged at work. And 40% of those over 40 said they are actively seeking another job. When you look at the big picture across generations, over half of the world’s employees are looking for other job opportunities.
The truth of the matter is all employees are disengaged, leading to high turnover, which negatively impacts productivity and morale. But it’s not all doom and gloom. The good news is that learning and development (L&D) has the power to turn the tables and revive engagement and culture in the workplace.
Engaging a Multigenerational Workforce
Across age groups, the findings are consistent: Employees cite advancement opportunities, insufficient training, poor leadership, work-life balance and lack of recognition as top reasons for leaving their jobs. Luckily, each of these issues can be remedied with the right training.
We’ll outline some areas to focus training efforts to engage a multigenerational workforce.
Training Areas of Focus
1. Skills development. Michelle Day, vice president of human resources at Pearson, says that in today’s workforce, employees’ skills and experience hold more weight than their resumes: “Skills are a predictor of where you can go next, what you can do and how successful you can be. Really knowing your workforce, their level of engagement and their level of skills and using data to inform those conversations is important.”
Pearson’s research on power skills found that, amidst the AI tech explosion, human skills like communication, attention to detail, collaboration, leadership and customer service are the in-demand workplace skills. Organizations that invest in developing these skills through continuous upskilling and reskilling are essentially depositing into their employees’ career bank accounts. In an age where skills are currency, focusing on nurturing human skills becomes a pivotal strategy in driving employee engagement, satisfaction and loyalty.
2. Leadership development. Help both new and experienced managers improve their skills in motivating and engaging their teams. Topics such as emotional intelligence, effective communication, delivering feedback and team motivation are crucial.
Senior manager of corporate L&D for Maximus, Heather Balcerek, CPTM, says the best way to equip managers is by giving them the language and tools they need to make connections with their teams. Because, as she puts it, “You need to know the individual before you can lead them.”
3. Coaching and mentoring. Take advantage of a diverse workforce and pair employees based on their strengths and needs rather than their tenure. Matt Donovan, chief learning and innovation officer at GP Strategies, recommends reverse or cross-mentoring programs that challenge traditional mentoring methods: “Focus on the things employees can bring to the table regardless of age. Be open to expertise employees may have through their lived experiences.”
More thoughtful pairings can facilitate knowledge transfer and foster a more inclusive and supportive work culture. Donovan adds, “Bringing the voices of lived experiences to the learning experience promotes inclusion throughout the learning journey and creates a sense of belonging for all ages.”
4. Personal and professional purpose. Day explains that while in the past, employees were content to work for a paycheck, today’s employees care more about both their company’s purpose and having purpose in their roles. “Understanding that the way we did things in the past is not the way we should be doing them now and really understanding the different people on your team, their strengths, their hopes and dreams, their goals is important,” she says.
Training should begin with a clear explanation of the company’s purpose, values and vision. This understanding fosters a sense of belonging and alignment with the organization’s goals. Help employees see the impact of their individual roles on the broader organizational goals and provide guidance and tools for employees to develop career paths within the organization that align with their personal sense of purpose.
5. Communication skills. Acknowledge and leverage the diverse experiences and preferences of different age groups with communication skills training on topics such as communication styles, online etiquette and giving and receiving feedback.
Balcerek acknowledges that collaboration can be difficult for diverse teams of varying experiences and backgrounds, which is why everyone should have training in how to facilitate productive collaborative conversations. “When you have multiple generations in a team, that’s great because you have all kinds of experience there. But if the leader of that team does not know how to facilitate their conversations to help them collaborate together, then it’s not going to be successful,” she says. Training all employees to communicate more effectively can unify your workforce, improving collaboration and productivity.
The key to engaging a multigenerational workforce is understanding the unique motivations and preferences of the individual learner and addressing them through focused training efforts. Offering training based on your audience rather than assumptions can create a more inclusive, productive and satisfying work environment, which results in better engagement. It’s crucial to remember that the strength of a team lies in its diversity and the ability to harness the unique contributions of all its members.
In part two of this article, we’ll delve into how to design and implement training programs that effectively cater to the needs of a diverse, multigenerational workforce, ensuring that each individual feels valued, understood and equipped to succeed in today’s ever-evolving workplace.
