As Millennials become the dominant generation in the workforce, many businesses find themselves dealing with a generation gap within teams and across the organization. With many Baby Boomers delaying retirement and Gen X-ers fully entrenched in their careers, seeing Millennials move up through the ranks can be a sign of shifts for which they are not prepared.
The IT field can amplify the differences between the generations, as more experienced workers may focus on legacy operations and younger workers bring new expectations of technology. To bridge the gap between your employees, you need to be prepared to make some changes.
Embrace New Technology Paradigms
Millennials communicate in ways that seem almost foreign to other generations, often relying on texts and messenger apps more than other mechanisms. They also see less value in reporting to an office every day if the work can be completed just as well from another location. While these ideas seem normal to Millennials workers, they can lead baby boomers to dismiss the value a Millennial employee may bring to the company.
One way to get your team on the same page is to embrace some of these new methods. Promote the option to work remotely amongst all employees whose work can be completed well from any location. Add in communication methods that allow the team to communicate easily even if they aren’t all in the same room.
Support Mentorship
Every employee brings something valuable to the table. Consider instituting a mentorship program that allows baby boomer workers to pass their knowledge on to the millennials. It also provides Millennials the opportunity to introduce other employees to newer tech, and help them familiarize themselves with the kinds of digital management tools that have become popular across many industries.
Both workers will also benefit from having a more open dialogue, allowing them to connect in a meaningful way. This can help a team feel more cohesive and provide opportunities for everyone to grow.
Promote Patience
Both sides of the generational gap will have trouble understanding one another from time to time. As a manager, you will need to facilitate conversations between employees who have hit a stylistic impasse. Encourage every employee to listen to the ideas and concerns of the others, but make sure they have the chance to be heard too.
Provide Leadership Opportunities
Some employees have concerns about Millennials working into leadership positions. One way to alleviate those fears is to give Millennials the opportunity to lead when a project is focused on one of their primary skill sets. This can give the millennials a chance to learn how to lead a team, while baby boomers will have a chance to see the Millennial as a competent employee. By giving them an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, they may earn more respect from those with which they work.
The Bottom Line
Getting a diverse workforce on the same page can be a challenge. If you take the time to allow every employee to share their strengths and learn from the strengths of others, you create an environment that supports a cohesive team.
If you are looking for more information about bridging the generation gap, The Squires Group is here to help. today and see what they can do for your team.Contact The Squires Group today and see what they can do for your team.
