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By now you’ve heard all about how the current job market is tough, but did you know that once you land a job, your work environment could also be hard to navigate?
 
The reason for this challenging environment is because for the first time, we have four generations working together, each with such strong defining characteristics, that it’s sometimes creating conflict in the workplace: Generation Y is characterized as self-confident, collaborative and creative; Generation X is focused on self-development and are independent workers; Baby Boomers are known as driven, team-players; and Traditionalists are seen as disciplined and hard-working. Each generation holds different values based on the time period in which they were raised and the different ways they were impacted by societal change. When these four generations intermingle in the workforce, sometimes their values clash and attitudes don’t align.

“Everyone feels like they’re not appreciated, and they’re kind of ticked off,” says Sarah Slade, a generation specialist and CEO of XYZ University, a management consulting firm that provides solutions to enhance an organization’s next-generation intelligence. “Baby Boomers feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick because they feel like the economy has hit them, they have to prolong retirement, and younger generations are trying to push them out of the way. Generation X is feeling like the Boomers aren’t getting out of the way, they have been stuck in middle management for a long time, and now they’re getting pressure from Generation Y to be hip and savvy, so they’re being pulled in multiple directions. And Generation Y feels like they are getting the short end of the stick because there aren’t any job opportunities and nobody really likes them because people feel they are entitled and difficult to work with.”

As Slade notes, each generation has their own defining personality and is dealing with their own hardships seemingly caused by one another’s presence.

Mind(ing) the gaps

“When we talk about the workplace of the future, we’re talking about workplaces that are successful at honing some of the skills of each generation and being open to leadership. There is less hierarchy and more ‘flat’ organizations...less silos and more team-oriented workplaces,” says Slade.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the world’s leading professional services firms, is taking actions to manage and meet the expectations of a new multi-generational workforce. One of their new initiatives, Personal Brand Week, is targeted at university students preparing to enter the workforce and is focused on helping them understand the key elements of building a brand and the implications it has on a job search. “We’re trying to get [students] to start thinking about this early, so that people can understand that their personal brand, especially in times of social media, really does create an impression about you and that the things that you do online, people can see,” says Debbie Amery, vice-president of talent & tax national human capital leader. This outreach and resource program recognizes the unique needs of Generation Y as they enter the workplace, and is enabling them to make that transition successfully.

Through their My Life programs, PwC is recognizing the diverse values and needs of their current (and future) workforce by offering employees flexibility, “whether that is flexible time away, work from home, or ‘flexdays’ when people need to use different time or space in order to get stuff done,” says Amery. “It’s a program that allows people to talk about the things that are important to them, which makes them ultimately more productive in the workplace as well.”

As organizations are recognizing the importance of appealing to their diverse workforce, new creative initiatives are being put forward and ways of thinking are being shifted. “The most successful organizations are going to be those that are willing to compromise, and those that will be willing to literally have a multi-generational approach, which is really ‘how do we all feel about this?’ not just the select few in senior management,” notes Slade. This includes “opening up dialogues, having open-book management, and really inviting more communication and input from employees.”

Ottawa-based Halogen Software is another company that is appealing to their future Gen Y employees. This year, they launched an innovative program that is designed to bridge generational gaps through development programs for new graduates at the company. The program gives recent employees exposure to a diverse set of people and the opportunity for collaboration and mentorship from a senior employee. Using the 80/20 rule, new hires spend 80 per cent of their time focused on their functional job, and the other 20 per cent is spent on professional development. “They’ll have a mentor that they will meet with on a regular basis; they will also have the opportunity to participate in meetings with our CEO and CFO by participating in things such as planning an event,” says Amy Corkum, learning and development specialist at Halogen.

“The idea is to bring in new ideas, new perspectives and ultimately transition Gen Ys/millennials into leaders down the road,” says John Fleischauer, the talent attraction manager at the company. He notes the importance of Halogen bringing new perspectives and new innovative ideas to their business practices as part of the tech community, and how appealing to Generation Y in a creative way is important to the company’s survival.

Respecting (some) gaps

Organizations are altering practices to respect the new workforce made up of multiple generations in order to “create an environment where people feel like their contributions are valued and that they are valued,” says Amery.

As organizations are playing their part to include all ages, the millennials (we’re talking to you guys!) have their role to play too. “I think that Generation Y needs to be aware of certain things,” says Slade. “One of the things I see [them] struggle with, in no fault of their own, are these ideas of hierarchy and authority.”

Slade explains that because those 30 and under were raised as peers in the household, they are used to having an equal voice at home. She recommends trying to adapt to the concept of hierarchy in the workplace and respecting the existing structure. “They need to recognize that if they want a voice at the table, they have to prove themselves,” she says.

Fleischauer suggests that new employees should see the multi-generational workforce as an opportunity to learn from different members of each generation. “There’s a lot of great information that the different generations can provide each other and we can all push each other to really learn more on an individual basis. So I think it’s really important to accept all the information that you can and transform that into something of value,” he says.

Monika Lombardi, key account and trade marketing manager at SodaStream, agrees. “Just be open-minded to the different ideas,” she says. “A lot of people say that ‘the new green is grey,’ so we are trying to not dismiss the wisdom of [older generations] and their experience.” Lombardi, who works with her much younger sister and their mother, has had plenty of first-hand experiences with working in a multigenerational workplace, particularly with the added element of working in a family-business-type setting.

Although she has encountered challenges, Lombardi says she has been very fortunate to be working in a multigenerational workplace with family and peers who work well together, despite their differences. However, conflict is unavoidable, and when faced with conflict in the workplace due to the differing ideas from multiple generations, Lombardi says that the best thing to do is to relax and approach conflicts with an open mind. “The future and the past sometimes do clash,” she says, “but I find that a lot of people [in business] now are slowing down and going back to the basics. Ultimately, for me, it has just been about taking a deep breath when you do have a disagreement, and just trying to present your case in a different perspective, so that they see things in a different way.”

Corkum, Lombardi, and Fleischauer agree that a good philosophy for millennials to follow is to “have an opinion, but be open to listening to different ideas as well.” Although it may seem obvious that being confrontational when presenting your ideas or being dismissive of others’ ideas is a bad idea, it can happen, particularly when work environments get tense. Lombardi thinks that it’s important for every generation to remember that when approaching peers with this type of behavior, “you’re not going to get a good reaction. Period.”

Other recommendations include respecting traditional dress codes and specific work hours that are outlined by the organization, as well as balancing the requirement to be both a team player and independent in their work approach. Generation Y should be “aware that there are times for collaboration, but also understand that the workplace wants them to figure things out for themselves sometimes,” suggests Slade.

Lombardi says that it’s important to respect “where [your co-workers] are coming from,” regardless of whether you’re a member of Generation Y or the baby boomers, because valuable ideas and experience can go to waste if they’re never heard or acknowledged.

No matter what approach you decide to use in the workplace, it is important to remember that all generations have value. Even though you think your middle-aged boss is out of touch with modern advancements, he or she might surprise you and teach you something new.