Communication, Learning and Age Diversity in the Workplace
4th out of 6 series on age diversity in the workplace. Includes link to whitepapers on the four generations in the workplace.
Leadersin talent development have begun focusing on Age Diversity in the Workplace. First of six articles on the four generations in the workplace.
This is the first of six articles on Age Diversity in the Workplace. This is a topic which has been gaining attention among thought leaders in talent development. We, and others, have begun focusing on generational demographics, and the different communication styles of each generation. On Monday, for example, Katie Kuehner-Hebert published Managing Through Life Stages.
Kim Wise has been making presentations and writing for years on different communication styles and the subtle variations in the way people view their careers and professional development. At Mentor Resources, our focus in on the connection between the Mentor and the Mentee, which we believe drives the success of any mentor program. The heart of the WisdomShare™ software is a proprietary algorithm for matching, which is designed to cross over the generational divide, by matching people with similar styles and worldviews.
Some of the challenges associated with age diversity in the workplace and generational differences are due to the life-stages of the employees, which impact their perception of time and speed. But more significant, is their comfort with technology which, particularly for Millennials and Generation X, is function of the access to the Internet as they were growing up. We have published a whitepaper, Four Generations in the Workplace, which summarizes these six blogs.
Firms are increasingly incorporating generational differences into their workforce strategies to better attract and retain employees, enhance learning, improve relations between employees and managers, and accommodate their older workers. “This is the 21st century ‘diversity’ issue that human resource professionals are now paying closer attention to,” says Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, director of the Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College.
The Sloan Center recently published Age: A 21st Century Diversity Imperative which coined the phrase, the Aging Prism, highlighting these key findings:
Despite having well-defined diversity and inclusion strategy, most firms do not have a formal age diversity strategy.
These approaches are moving from compliance-only with an older worker focus towards multi-generational approaches, with an integrated age management strategy and recognition of generational diversity.
They quickly recognize how Age Diversity in the Workforce aligns with their existing initiatives.
The primary focus within Age Diversity in the workplace is the multiple generations.
Traditionalists (born before 1946), Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Gen X (born 1965-1980), Gen Y, also referred to as Millennials (born 1981-2000), and the up and coming Gen 2020 (born after 2000).
Communication styles to enhance socialization is the key component. Each promising business practice focuses on the communication style within affinity groups, networking events, social media outreach, onboarding new hires, etc.
Even in organizations that have implemented age-related initiatives, the focus is on improving engagement through better communication between younger and older workers. The internal strategic focus is on the four generations in the workplace and enhancing intergenerational relationships.
Mentor Resources is hosting a conference call on how these issues impact talent development and mentoring. Mark your calendar now for November 3rd at 11:00 AM PST/2PM EST for “The Importance of Mentoring with Four Generations in the Workplace.”
Each of these four generations, has a slightly different weighting on the core values and issues of importance to all employees. Don’t miss Mentor Resources’ informational webinar for managers on Thursday, November 3. RSVP with Jennifer Aguilar at JAguilar “at” MentorResources.com or 415-380-0918.
4th out of 6 series on age diversity in the workplace. Includes link to whitepapers on the four generations in the workplace.
Part of a series of blogs on Age Diversity or Generational diversity in the workplace. White papers from several sources are available on the topic.
Generational Diversity in the workforce and mentoring. Tools for managing 4 different demographic groups in the workplace. White paper available.
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