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Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce
Presentation at
Contact Center Consortium Network (C3N)
Commerce Lexington
March 4, 2015
1 1
Paradigm
… a typical example or pattern of something; a model.
Not
Stereotypes
... a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.
2
In today's world, the structure, content, and process of work have changed. Work is now:
more cognitively complex
more team-based and collaborative
more dependent on social skills
more dependent on technological competence
more time pressured
more mobile and less dependent on geography.
3
Problem
For the first time in modern history, four generations of workers are working side by side—each bringing a wide range of cultural and generational idiosyncrasies with them to the workplace.
Source: 2009 The Ken Blanchard Companies.
Many organizations are not equipped to deal with the generational conflicts that may be arising, and most managers are struggling with how to work constructively with individuals in each generation.
4
Four distinct generations
Silent Generation
(1928 –1945)
Baby Boomers (1946 –1964)
Generation X (1965 –
1980)
Millennials (After 1981)
Impact
When generations fail to communicate or work together effectively, it impacts the organization’s bottom line.
Turnover rates and tangible costs such as recruitment, hiring, training and retention can be negatively impacted.
Morale may also suffer which can result in increased complaints, and perceptions of unfair treatment or
inequity.
6
. . . only 13 percent of all employees are “highly engaged,”
and 26 percent are “actively disengaged.”
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Gallup’s 2014 research shows that:
Deloitte Consulting:Ten Key Trends for 2015
1. Engagement, Retention, Culture, and Inclusion Have Become Front Burner Issues
Low engagement today is a significant business risk. In today’s transparent job market, employment brand and employee engagement have become synonymous. If people are unhappy at work, then they are likely telling others—making it harder to hire good people.
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Deloitte research also notes:
Eighty percent of organizations believe their employees are overwhelmed with information and activity at work (21 percent cite the issue as urgent), yet fewer than 8 percent have programs to deal with the issue.
More than 70 percent of Millennials expect their employers to focus on societal or mission-driven problems; 70 percent want to be creative at work; and more than two-thirds believe it is management’s job to provide them with accelerated development opportunities in order for them to stay.
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The employee-work contract has changed:
People are operating more like free agents than in the past.
In short, the balance of power has shifted from employer to employee, forcing business leaders to learn how to build an organization that engages employees as sensitive, passionate, creative contributors.
Source: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.
10
Significant Impacts on the Workplace
Work-style
Recognition and Reward
Authority /
Leadership
Work /
FamilyCommunication
Loyalty
Technology
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What has to be done?
Good leaders need to recognize the workplace characteristics and personal desires of each individual.
They need to use these traits effectively in order to drive company performance and achieve organizational goals.
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Josh Bersin: A new model for
employee engagement
1. Make work meaningful
2. Foster great management: High-performing managers
create simple goals, make sure they are clear and transparent, and revisit them regularly.
3. Establish a flexible, humane, inclusive workplace
4. Create ample opportunities for growth
5. Establish vision, purpose, and transparency in leadership
© 2015 - Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.
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Bond . . . James Bond
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http://www.007james.com/articles/who_played_james_bond_part_2.php
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1962-1967 Sean Connery
1995-2002 Pierce Brosnan
1973-1985 Roger Moore
2006-2012 Daniel Craig
Generations Ketter & Taylor (2009)
Life Cycle Effect: The biological impact of aging and the changing roles that people play as they grow older
Cohort Effect: Unique historical circumstances that impact cohort as adolescence and young adulthood that imprint itself, producing differences that persist even as the cohort ages.
Period Effect: The major events that are likely to have a simultaneous impact all age groups, but have the greatest impact among the young because values and habits are less fixed than those of other age groups.
The Generation Gap
“The term Generation Gap was used mostly to describe conflicts
between parents and children. Today, the “Gap” has more of a
presence in the workplace, where employees from different
generations are finding it difficult to work side by side because their
experiences, goals and expectations are different”.
Kogan, M. (2001)
Have conducted Five Surveys
Spring 2009: 15 companies in Central KY – 1,000 mix audience
Spring 2011: 100 Graduate and undergraduate students at Midway College
Fall 2012: 200 Utility Company in Central, KY
Fall 2013: 50 Surgery Nurses in Lexington, KY
Winter 2013: 800 Restaurant workers in KY, TN & GA
Key Findings
Consistent pattern of generational differences in relations in the workplace
However, there is also overlap between the generations in terms of support for basic issues like job security, career advancement, and a secure retirement
According to research:
All generations have similar values. The most striking result of the research is how similar they are.
Family is listed as the top priority for all of the generations.
Leaders must be trustworthy.
No one really likes change.
Everyone likes feedback.
Source: 2009 The Ken Blanchard Companies.
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The same values, but different
Everyone wants respect. All workers want respect, but the generations don’t define it in the same way.
Source: 2009 The Ken Blanchard Companies.
In the study, older individuals talked about respect in terms of “giving my opinions the weight I believe they deserve,”
While younger respondents characterized respect as “listen to me; pay attention to what I have to say.”
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Baby Boomers Traits
More work focused then family focused
Loyal to the current organization & important that organization is loyal to them
Like to communicate in person
Company funded retirement is important
Comprehensive health insurance is important
Key: Hard work and are team players
Gen X Traits
Enjoy attending company events
Competition among co-workers is a strong motivator
Prefer group projects to individual projects
Believe teams are more effective that individuals
Having a strong voice in decision-making
Key: Life balance and respect for individuality
Millenials Traits
Close supervision improve my performance
Job security is my top priority
Special recognition is a strong motivator
Teams are more effective then individual efforts
Tangible awards (trophies, plaques, and parking spaces) strong motivators
Key: Making a difference in the world and respecting diversity
According to Morris Massey. . .
A high percentage of learned behavior and attitude patterns in adults are directly correlated to their formative years.
Birth to 7 years: Imprint by observation or patterning. What a child experiences is accepted, internalized, and considered to be right and normal.
8–13 years: Modeling by heroes or identification.
14–20 years: Socialization by peers or significant other.
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According to Morris Massey. . .
21+ years: A significant emotional experience (S.E.E.) may change or replace values. Without that, values are now set.
An S.E.E. is something that emotionally affects an individual’s perception or understanding of reality and causes them to reexamine the basic value or belief.
If powerful enough, the experience will cause the person to exchange one value for another.
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Baby Boomers Values
Defining and guiding values:
* Idealism * Image * Optimism * Team orientation * Personal growth * Personal gratification * Group together by similarity of belief * Self-expressive * Media savvy * Excellence * Big talkers * Youth * Work * Involvement * Health / wellness * Nostalgia
http://www.tomorrowtoday.uk.com/articles/article001_intro_gens.htm
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Gen X Values
Defining and guiding values:
* Change * Choice * Global awareness * Techno-literacy * Individualism * Lifelong learning * Immediate gratification * Diversity * Survivors * Informality * Whiners * Thrill seekers * "Experiencers" * Pragmatism * Not scared of failure * Self-reliance
http://www.tomorrowtoday.uk.com/articles/article001_intro_gens.htm
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Millennials’ Values
Defining and guiding values:
* Optimism * Confidence * High self-esteem * Media & entertainment overloaded * Street smart * Diversity * Conservative * Networkers * Civic duty * Ethical consumption * Achievement * Morality * Naivete * Change * Techno-savvy * Global citizens, with a multi-everything view
http://www.tomorrowtoday.uk.com/articles/article001_intro_gens.htm
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Those kinds of big and small differences in generational experiences accumulate to produce qualitative differences in attitudes, values, and behavior.
Knowing the general characteristics of a group enhances chances for effective and efficient interaction with group members.
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Recommendations to Gen X and Baby Boomers
Start listening and stop assuming
Be present on college and high school campuses. Don’t wait until millennials show up for an interview
Start viewing millennials as strategic business investments
Scrap “do as I say, not as I do”
Learn to tap into millennials potential
Hain, R. (2013, July 30)
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Recommendations to Millennials
Having perspective is important
Be patient
Look at relationships and communication differently
Convey respect while pursuing your goals
Pursue mentors and advocates
Hain, R. (2013, July 30)
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Focus on Three Areas in a Multigenerational Workplace
Motivation
Technology
Knowledge Management
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Motivation
BABY BOOMERS GENERATION X GENERATION Y
WORK ETHIC & VALUES Workaholics
Working efficiently
Crusading causes
Personal fulfillment
Desire for quality
Questioning Authority
Eliminate the task
Self-reliance
Want structure and
direction
Skeptical
Asking what is next
Multitasking
Tenacity
Entrepreneurial
Tolerant
Goal oriented
LEADERSHIP STYLE Consensual
Collegial
Believe everyone is the
same
Challenging others
Asking why
Will be better
determined as this
generation gets older
INTERACTIVE STYLE Team player
Loves to have meetings
Entrepreneurial Participative
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Motivation
BABY BOOMERS GENERATION X GENERATION Y
WORK AND FAMILY
LIFE
No balance
Work to live
Balance Balance
FEEDBACK AND
REWARDS
Don’t appreciate
feedback
Money
Title recognition
“Sorry to
interrupt, but
how am I
doing?”
Believes
freedom is the
best reward
“Whenever I want it,
at the push of a
button.”
Meaning work
MESSAGES THAT
MOTIVATE
“You are valued.”
“You are
needed.”
“Do it your
way.”
“Forget the
rules.”
“You will work with
other bright, creative
people.”
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Technology
36
Pew Research notes that today’s young are history’s first generation of digital natives.
The online world isn’t something they’ve had to adapt to — it’s all they’ve ever known, and it’s their indispensable platform for social interactions and information acquisition.
Take advantage of your millennial employee’s computer, cell phone, and electronic literacy
Technology
So how can businesses take advantage of the tech-skills that younger workers bring?
One effective strategy is reciprocal mentoring. Reciprocal mentoring takes that concept a step further by creating a two-way conversation.
As the mentor teaches the newcomer valuable business information, the young person can help their older colleague master the techniques of new technology, including how to avoid the embarrassing “newbie” mistakes that inhibit a lot of inexperienced users from participating in online activities.
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Knowledge Transfer
Personal dynamics and communication between source and receiver can make or break the transfer of knowledge, especially between generations.
Identify where it is most vulnerable
Evaluate current processes and practices for transferring critical knowledge to determine how its culture, systems, and processes enable knowledge loss
Bridging the Gaps: How to Transfer Knowledge in Today's Multigenerational Workplace. (2008, July 1).
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Knowledge is a Strategic Business Issue
Define losing knowledge as a strategic business issue, and articulate changing workforce threats to the management team—don’t assume they get it
Northeast Utilities developed a five-year corporate development program and funding plan. One of its components is the business case for retaining critical knowledge: to ensure that operational performance does
not suffer as a result of known workforce transitions.
Bridging the Gaps: How to Transfer Knowledge in Today's Multigenerational Workplace. (2008, July 1).
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Knowledge Transfer Process Steps
Step 1:
Identifyand
evaluate the
knowledge.
Step 2: Validate
and document
the knowledge.
Step 3: Publish and share the
knowledge.
Step 4: Transfer
and apply the
knowledge.
Step 5: Learn and
capture the knowledge.
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Channels for Knowledge Transfer
Telling: meetings, teleconferences, mentoring
Showing: on-the-job training, mentoring
Background Prep: reports, guides, manuals
Decision-Making: persuasive documents, evidence (documents, statistics, cores, lab results, cuttings, gas analysis, etc.)
Sharing: e-mail, list-serves & feeds, texting
Training: workshops, classes, webinars, presentations
Bridging the Gaps: How to Transfer Knowledge in Today's Multigenerational Workplace. (2008, July 1).
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Knowledge Transfer
Focus on the receiver, not just the source. Younger employees should be involved in deciding how they want to receive knowledge.
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Essentials for Knowledge Transfer
Create awareness in older employees of the benefits they stand to gain, such as recognition.
Build the human element into the process. After all, you can’t force people with knowledge to share it, and you certainly can’t force people who need someone else’s knowledge to use it.
Reciprocity and recognition are the foundation for changing the way we transfer knowledge.
Emerging knowledge transfer methods such as reverse mentoring provide opportunities for behavior change in both the source and receiver.
Bridging the Gaps: How to Transfer Knowledge in Today's Multigenerational Workplace. (2008, July 1).43
Leading a MultigenerationalWorkforce — 12 Best Practices
Dr. Susan Murphy, a senior consultant with Claire Raines Associates, a consulting firm specializing in generational differences, offers 12 best practices:
1) Study generational composition; use the information in many HR strategies.
2) Train people about the generations, using a variety of formats.
3) Match workforce to customer base.
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Leading a MultigenerationalWorkforce — 12 Best Practices
4. Include all generations on boards and councils.
5. Support continuing education (lifelong learning, tuition reimbursement, etc.).
6. Reward managers for retention.
7. Reward performance and productivity (without regard to age)
8. Offer horizontal movement (to gain experience and break down silos).
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Leading a MultigenerationalWorkforce — 12 Best Practices
9) Plan for succession (knowledge management transfer).
10) Offer mentoring programs (to transfer knowledge from senior to junior employees).
11) Offer flexible scheduling (part-time work, temporary positions, job sharing, telecommuting).
12) Offer a wide variety and choices of benefits(auto, life, and health insurance, 401(k) match, alumni group, etc.).
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