Introduction
Employees that have a greater age gap with their managers are more likely to be less productive and vice versa. If the manager is senior by the age gap of 12 years or more their productivity level is going to be lower by 1.5 times. This was concluded from a study conducted in the US and the UK on workplaces.
The main cause for this lack of productivity is the lack of cooperation between employees of different generations.
Baby Boomers Vs Gen Z
The HR Managers are expected to bridge this gap between the Gen Z and the Baby boomers. To successfully bring these two generations in the organization together, we need to understand “what makes them different?”.
For Baby boomers job security is of utmost priority while the Gen Z want to work for a cause that they are passionate for.
Baby boomers are old school while Gen Z is generally more technologically proficient.
According to some experts baby boomers derive their sense of self from their work while Gen Z are more creative and practical and consider work life balance to be of great importance.
Both generations aren’t the best when it comes to working together because for them understanding each other can be a difficult task.
Strategies to Bridge the Gap
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Communication Gap
Organizations must encourage open communication among the employees of all generations. Good communication amongst employees of different generations is one way to make everyone feel respected and heard. Listening to each other’s perspectives can also help in understanding each other better and to find the common ground that is to work for the benefit of the organization in the long run.
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Form Teams with Employees from Different Generations
Encourage mutual respect, understanding and inclusive work ethics to achieve the shared organizational goal by forming teams with employees from different generations.
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Organize Recreational Activities
Organize recreational activities outside the workplace to get all the different generations work together on something different. Such leisure activities help in building team spirit amongst the employees in an enjoyable manner. These recreational activities may involve volunteer day, hosting a talent show, outdoor adventures like hiking, camping, etc.
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Baby Boomers Mentoring Gen Z’s & vice versa:
Instead of a competitive culture, organizations must encourage a culture of continuous improvement and learning. Baby Boomers are very knowledgeable about the industry that they’re working in while the Gen Z are better with technology. Both these generations can learn from each other and bridge the gap of employee productivity.
EMP Trust HR offers a comprehensive suite of HR solutions, including Employee Onboarding, Electronic Form I-9, E-Verify Solution, HR Central Solutions, and HR Policy Hub. Our tools are designed to assist HR managers in effectively managing and engaging employees across all generations. We provide customized solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of our global clients, with multilingual support available.
