Different generations have long experienced conflict and tension in the workplace. Younger workers often feel their older colleagues are set in their ways and resistant to change, while older workers feel their younger colleagues don’t respect established norms or the valuable experience of more senior staff.
While this tension is often low-grade and relatively harmless, it can also escalate into more serious issues, such as decreased morale and engagement and overall poor company performance.
Generational Tensions on the Rise
In an article for Fortune, Jotform founder and author Aytekin Tank cites data from a recent London School of Economics and Political Science study that explored productivity and conflict issues related to different generations working together in the workplace. While tension does exist among, say Boomers and Zoomers, an effective strategy at combatting that tension is through engaging younger workers to be more actively involved in the company’s operations.
“In short, participation reduces friction,” Tank writes. “Recent studies confirm that when decision-making, problem-solving, and action planning are shared between employees and management, productivity increases.”
Zoomers Present Special Challenges
But opportunities for participation alone aren’t enough to address all the challenges that come with an intergenerational workplace. “Zoomers enter the workforce with particular challenges,” Tank explains. “They’re more comfortable with remote work environments than other generations, and sometimes that leads to gaps in soft skills training.”
Businesses need to be proactive about addressing these issues, Tank says. Fortunately, Gen Z’s drawbacks are counterbalanced by some strengths. “I’ve found that the only way to foster those strengths and boost participation among our younger colleagues is by speaking to digital natives in their mother tongue,” Tank says. “At Jotform, that means leveraging digital tools and in certain instances adopting a more ‘Gen Z mindset.’ ”
Finding the Right Balance
While embracing generational differences can seem like a radical shift to change-averse organizations, it’s not a viable strategy to simply ignore generational differences. Boomers won’t remain in the workforce forever, and as each year goes by, the workforce becomes more heavily weighted in favor of Gen Z and Millennials. In fact, by next year, Gen Z are expected to outnumber Boomers in the workforce. This means employers must act to identify and address sources of intergenerational conflict, tension, and productivity challenges if they want to succeed in tomorrow’s economy.
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.
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