The emerging generation of talent entering today’s workforce has a vast amount of knowledge, experience, and skills to support business performance. However, bringing new talent into the workforce and unlocking their full potential has not always been a straightforward journey, with some businesses seeing a disconnect between Gen Z – the emerging generation of talent – and more established colleagues. Common generational narratives have even compounded the issue and reinforced harmful stereotypes, with Gen Z branded “lazy”, while older generations have been criticised for being close-minded and unwilling to embrace change.
With the pace of change and transformation accelerating, any disruption between more established colleagues and a new generation entering the workforce will impact organisations and individuals, affecting the speed workforces can adapt and grow.
So, what can business leaders do to build harmony within a multigenerational workforce?
Cultivate positive company culture
Encouraging open conversations and active listening between generations is a great way to foster understanding and empathy. One way to do this is by introducing schemes like reverse mentoring. Reverse mentoring sees junior colleagues taking on the role of a mentor to senior colleagues. This is an opportunity for employees from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences, enabling both participants to feel heard and develop richer, more useful perspectives on career challenges by removing some of the traditional hierarchical barriers.
Such schemes are an effective way to promote a positive culture and can allow colleagues from different generations to work together. This provides a supportive environment for curiosity where mentors and mentees can freely ask each other questions outside of the confines of day-to-day work.
Implement wellbeing programmes
Young workers have high expectations of their employers when it comes to the support they believe businesses should be providing to employees. Research from Grayce found that over half (57%) believe the organisation they work for has a responsibility to look after their wellbeing, while 52% say their employer should actively improve it. Moreover, nearly one in three (30%) say that they would take a pay cut as long as the money was invested back into the organisation’s culture and wellbeing programme.
But it’s not just Gen Z who believe that organisations have this responsibility. Recent research from Vitality found that employees often do not feel that their workplaces promote their health. In fact, one in five say their managers don’t care about their health at all.
If organisations are willing to invest in encouraging harmony and wellbeing, including financial wellness, mental health counselling, and physical activity programmes, they can benefit from enhanced productivity and performance across the business too.
Create a safe space
Employees also need to feel that when they are in their workplace, they are in a safe space where their voices will be heard. This not only shows that an organisation respects its people but also that employees have mutual levels of respect and trust for each other so they can learn without fear or judgement.
Workshops or feedback surveys can be used to achieve this and act as an early warning system for senior leaders to gauge employee sentiment and identify necessary changes. Transparency is crucial here. Leaders should not be afraid to be open about what is going well and what can be improved upon. Reflecting on these learnings, desired behaviours must be translated from the top down so expectations on what the culture should look like are clear for all.
Embrace flexibility
In today’s modern landscape, it is important to acknowledge each employee’s work preferences. Research from Grayce found that a fully office-based role does not appeal to younger generations of workers, with just 15% saying they’d prefer this kind of role, and nearly half saying they would not take a job if it didn’t meet their preferences regarding working style and location. While not all career choices lend themselves to flexible working, organisations that can should use this as an opportunity to showcase the respect and understanding they have for their employee’s personal and professional commitments.
This leads to greater employee engagement and satisfaction. It also means the office can be used as a hub for collaboration, creating a space where a multigenerational workforce can come together to share ideas and business solutions.
Create learning opportunities
Employees generally are keen to learn and expand their skills in order to progress their careers. In fact, Grayce’s research found that young workers believe that their skills development is crucial, with 54% saying they would consider leaving future employers if they didn’t invest enough in their skills development.
It is important for organisations to identify skills gaps and arrange training courses for all of their employees, regardless of age, so that they can continuously learn and develop.
By using these different tactics to build harmony within multigenerational workforces, companies can tap into their full potential. Not only strengthening relationships, but also contributing to a more inclusive culture where all employees feel accepted and heard, ultimately fostering an environment of innovation and high performance.
By Gemma Collins, Performance and Development Director at Grayce
