One of the most important job functions for the human resources department is attracting the best and brightest talent available who can come in and add value from day one. However, once these candidates become full-time employees, it can be a challenge to make sure they are able to fit in with the rest of the workforce in a productive way.
Today's employee climate is more unique that ever before because there are three generations of potential candidates: baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y, which are also more commonly referred to as millennials. The latter group is the newest to enter the workforce and they have an entirely different point of view and way of thinking that is, in many ways, starkly different from their predecessors. Oftentimes, this can be a source of conflict and discord in the workplace and HR professionals have to be savvy enough when mining for candidates so as to eliminate the chances of creating a less than collaborative environment.
Best practices for managing a multi-generational workplace
Having people of different ages and backgrounds together in the same environment can be a chance for the separate groups to engage with one another and gain an understanding of how to best work together. Of course, this only exists in a perfect world.
A recent article from Generational Edge revealed some surprising statistics:
- Almost 50 percent of workers feel that the generational group they belong to is viewed negatively by another.
- Sixty-five percent of workers stated that it's extremely difficult to get things accomplished at work because of conflict between generations.
- Ninety percent of those polled from each generation feel that their differences can hamper productivity. This is an addition to the feeling that an extraordinary amount of time is usually wasted as a result.
Although these individuals' direct supervisors and managers will often have to deal with discord of this kind, the HR department must also take an active role in ensuring that the workplace always remains positive, particularly when it comes to worker engagement.
How to ease generational conflict in the workplace
Many of those in HR administration are likely dealing with discord between generations already and are working hard internally on ways to alleviate the problem. In an article for AchieveGlobal, Paul and Craig Perrin listed a number of helpful suggestions on how multiple generations can have a harmonious work environment. Here are three of the most pertinent:
- Communicate and collaborate: In order to mend fences or work through issues, dialogue must take place. Intermingling teams from different generations and backgrounds is a great first step to people understanding one another and finding ways to get along.
- Listen: In addition to talking, listening must also take place as well as asking probing questions to gain a greater understanding and find common ground.
- Break down stereotypical walls: It's an unfortunate reality, but different generations have stereotypical views of one another that can lead to conflict. However, it's important to realize that every person is different and stereotypes only work to divide. Getting past them is the first step in creating a better working environment for all.