Case Scenarios: Managing Diverse Generations

Today people are looking for benefits what will help them manage their work-life life-styles better. Today, with the help of technology, employer is now starting to be more capable of offering flexible options with great results.

Changes in the demographic characteristics and lifestyles of the workforce are occurring at a time when businesses are also in a state of flux. Global competitive pressures and the push toward greater productivity have resulted in a number of organizational changes that increase the appeal of alternative work arrangements.

Implementing flexible working practices pay and reward schemes and career development initiatives can also be observed.

The objective is to use flexible working as a tool and to formalise a strategy to assist with staff retention and enable the company to be more competitive in the employment market.

In analyzing our current workforce ages and positions within the office, I recommend strengthening our recruitment, development, and retention strategies to meet this new generation that will shape the workplace in the future.

First and foremost, to understand how the Multigenerational Workforce works, we must know the driving forces behind the current four generations and where they stand today.

A generational perspective is also vital in explaining changing patterns of identification according to Duffy (2013). Studies have also revealed that the Veterans may be the only generation that may realize the full benefits of their different pension plans and social security benefits. As noted by Willetts (2011) widespread support across cohorts can be maintained only if younger generations believe that a similar contract will remain in place when they’re old. This factual recognition is no cause for alarm but this is just a sign of the times as noted by this researcher. Zemke, Raines, and Filipczak, (2013) stated in their later version of the text that this is the generation whose vision and hard work served to build the foundation of the world today as we know it.

The report is based on responses collected from more than 1000 employers and 2000 employees, considered UK workforce only and was conducted in early January 2012. The report presents an in-depth view of the types of flexible working provisions offered by employers including part-time working, working from home, flexitime, compressed hours, career breaks/sabbaticals, mobile working, term-time working, secondments, annual hours and time off work in the community.

Over the next decade, it will be a challenge for employers to attract, keep, and develop a skilled work force for numerous different reasons ranging from the evolution of technology to fewer foreign students coming to America for work. Adding to the problem, companies are finding themselves managing four generations of workers. Based on their generation’s life experiences, each group has its own diverse characteristics, standards, and attitudes towards work. The four generations are as follows: Silents (1925-1946), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation Xers (1965-1980), Generation Ys or Millennials (born after 1980). It is up to management to relate and motivate employees of different age groups. The purpose of this paper is to inform readers

Where will they come from? That is a question that is facing organizations and businesses in the United States as they ponder where the next wave of workers will emerge. Organizational recruitment and retention strategies have been challenged to find replacements for a generation of employees on the brink of retirement. This generation, the Baby Boomers, is a generation numbering 76 to 78 million people (Stendardi, 2005), a staggering number when contrasted with a 2009 Department of Labor figure of an employed civilian workforce of 140 million workers. The Boomers’ imminent retirement, sometimes referred to as the “ demographic tidal wave,” will challenge organizations and Human Resource departments to develop programs and

Brief summary of information: Provides suggestions and options for employer on developing and managing equitable flexible work practices.

The workplace of today involves interactions among people from four different generations often causing much conflict for leaders and organizations. Each generation represented has its own set of different values and beliefs. These differences can easily lead to conflicting barriers within the workplace. This can pose a significant problem for those in leadership. In order to combat this issue, leaders and organizations can effectively deal with these issues by offering different programs such as executive mentoring, town hall meetings, and leadership seminars for those in leadership.

“The number of employees over the age of 55 has increased by 30 percent; however, the number of 25- to 54-year-olds has only increased by 1 percent” (Claire, 2009). In 2008 the eldest of the 77 million baby-boomers turned 62. Estimates are that by the end of the decade about 40 percent of the work force will be eligible to retire. As people begin to reach the age of retirement there may be not be enough new employees to fill the gap (Clare, 2009). Companies need to find ways to attract Boomers and Millennials. Companies that want to attract Boomers and Millennials need to be creative in their culture, HR policies and work environments.

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE “UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORK PLACE” ( Cited from Kapoor and Solomon 2011)

- One key factor in employee motivation and retention is the opportunity employees want to continue to grow and develop job and career enhancing skills. In fact, this opportunity to continue to grow and develop through training and development is one of the most important factors in employee motivation