The number of generations working alongside one another in today’s workforce is already unprecedented…and it’s only growing larger. Without a strong grasp on the facets of each unique demographic, employers can’t hope to successfully harness the strengths they bring to the workforce.On Tuesday 27th September, Protiviti Managing Director, Peter Richardson hosted an Inspiring Speakers session with Dr Eliza Filby as part of the on-going Tackling Tomorrow Today virtual event series.Dr Eliza Filby is an academic and advisor, a broadcaster, specialising in generational intelligence. As a corporate advisor, Eliza has worked with many organisations, including Warner Brothers, McDonald's, HSBC, Barclays, and even the Royal household.Here’s an overview of the insights Eliza shared on why generational diversity is so crucial to the future of work, plus added insight from our own experts at Robert Half.
Why generational diversity is so crucial to the future of work
Eliza has identified two main causes for the widening generational gap:Tech-savvy younger generations are entering the workforce with sophisticated digital knowledge. Instead of starting in apprentice roles, they’ve become teachers to the older generations.Hybrid working prevents us from breaking down generational differences through face-to-face communication.“We need to see each other more in order to break down some of the differences we hold around how we communicate,” says Eliza.The ideal flexible working pattern is 2 days in the office and 3 days at home, according to new research gathered for the Robert Half 2023 Salary Guide“But also, we are living in an ageing society where older workers are going to have to work longer. And currently we have four generations, but very soon, we may have five generations. So, this problem of generational difference is not going away.”
"I think age, diversity should be as important as racial diversity and gender diversity and sexuality,” says Eliza. “I think we need to realise that in a way, we are less predisposed to think about it. And yet, it's one of the most corrosive things in the workplace and affects a lot of what we do.”30% of leaders have been asked about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion during an interview, according to new research gathered for the Robert Half 2023 Salary GuideEliza says that statistically, you're more likely to be friends with a different race, sexuality, or gender than with another generation.Age diversity is about understanding the different generations: how they communicate, their values, and their priorities.Age diversity is also key in helping to stamp out ageism across all generations by questioning the unconscious biases and stereotypes we all hold.Implementation of age diversity within leadership roles gives all generations a voice at a decision-making level.Ellie Clutton, Practice Manager at Robert Half BristolShe says, “Ideally, a leadership team should really be a representation of the employee base that they support, a voice for the workforce that they're representing. This representation must be meaningful, allowing skilled qualified people of all ages to come together. I feel passionately about this because I am the youngest leader in our leadership team in the region. I am that voice in the leadership team, and I’ve learned so much from the other generations, but I also know that I'm there for a reason. I'm the voice for another group of people.Charlie Grubb, Managing Director of Executive Search at Robert HalfHe says, “As an older person in Robert Half UK, I get enjoyment out of dealing with people through the different generations. That to me is exciting. That ability to work with different generations is what makes this business great."
Eliza believes Gen Z are disrupting the workplace (to the benefit of all generations) by questioning issues around three crucial topics:
Gen Z have a lack of deference — they have a voice on social media and have agency through that medium to express themselves. They value their voice and wish to use it in the workplace.Employers are finding that if they pander to Gen Z’s desire to be heard, they risk alienating other generations or providing a forum without action. The best solution is to create a culture of listening, instead.Eliza says: “We need to create within our organisations, not just a culture of speaking out, but a culture of listening to each other. And I think the two combined are really important.”
Gen Z are aware that they need to be agile workers — more so than any other generation. They have a hunger to learn in a face-to-face environment and high expectations of what learning is.Eliza says: “[Gen Z] are the ones, more than any other generation, that really values face-to-face communication. And as we know, learning in the workplace happens by observing how to speak to clients, how to have difficult conversations, how to meet a challenge. That can only happen by observing — you cannot do that on Zoom or Teams.”
Gen Z are shaking up what corporate responsibility to employees looks like. Not just physical health or health and safety, but mental health too. They want a much more holistic understanding of care that doesn't just involve our caring responsibilities to others but also our caring responsibilities to ourselves — self-care, financial care, mental well-being.The three factors combined have led to a more transactional mindset among generation Z, which Eliza feels is a healthier way to approach the work-force.
The economy cannot afford a ‘Silver Exodus’. Older generations are incredibly important to the workforce.Legacy knowledge is retained and passed onto other generations through mentoring.Baby Boomers and Gen X are motivated to climb within an organisation, making them your most loyal and dedicated workers.They’re keen to learn and would benefit from retraining or upskilling just as much as younger generations.In terms of financial returns, older generations often contribute the lion’s share of business’ revenue.
Boomers need to be offered a more interesting path to retirement. The model of retirement needs to be disrupted with options to scale workloads down or swap to a mentoring role.The tidal wave of mid-pandemic retirements have slowed to a natural flow, but many SMEs still don’t have a defined succession plan for vacant C-Suite roles. according to new research gathered for the Robert Half 2023 Salary GuideGen Xers are looking for support with elder care, as they are at the forefront of the social care crisis. They should also be shown what retirement looks like within the company — do they have a fulfilling and interesting pathway to go down as they downsize?Millennials are in their highest earning years and often have young families to support. They value an employer willing to help them with childcare.When Gen Z look at Millennials, they see a representation of themselves in 5 years’ time. Eliza believes that, for employers to retain Gen Z talent, they must look after Millennials. Education and training are universally appealing to all generations, particularly as we move to hybrid. This includes nurturing human qualities as technology becomes a larger part of what we do. Ambition isn’t reactive to age.Eliza believes that the concept of age defining your stage at work is not a viable framework for the future.Eliza Filby says“Why can't you have apprentices starting at 50? If you can have babies at 50, why can't you have apprentices at 50? Why can't you have leaders in their 20s? That's already happening, and it will happen more and more.”Ellie Clutton says“I get so many candidates that reach a stage in their career where they're scared to leave their current role to find something new because they're worried about the prejudice, or discrimination they'll face interviewing at a certain time in their life and career.”Charlie Grubb says“It is critical that all businesses recognise that ambition doesn’t stop at fifty — all people in your organisation are here to achieve, they may just have different things that they want to strive for.”For more insights on the future of work, society, and generational change, sign up to Dr Eliza Filby’s fortnightly newsletter.
