We know that workplace cultures that are inclusive to employees from various different demographic and social backgrounds are consistently proven to positively influence employee productivity, motivation, loyalty, pride and wellbeing – all of which contribute to stronger organisational performance. But building those inclusive cultures successfully is an ongoing practice. And across all aspects of diversity, our biases and prejudices can be the basis for many of the challenges we face when striving for an inclusive work environment. Our judgements about generational stereotypes are no exception, but the topic of age diversity is often overlooked when we come to take action on diversity and inclusion within our organisations.
As widely reported on Forbes and elsewhere, by 2025, Millennials will make up 75% of the workforce. Does this mean we should tailor our work practices, policies and processes to that population, or in doing this, are we inadvertently isolating employees from other generations who can bring a wide array of valuable strengths to our organisation at a time when the working population consists of more different age groups than ever before?
We are often quick to judge generations that are different to our own and the negative stereotypes of different age groups are usually at the forefront of our thinking rather than the positive attributes. We are probably all familiar with the idea that Baby Boomers are intimidated by technological advances, that Millennials lack engagement and Gen Z are workshy. Instead of accepting these preconceived labels as fact and viewing these assumed traits as battles to overcome, it’s important that we start to think about how our different generational experiences and diverse cultural backgrounds can offer varied perspectives to the way we approach solving our customers’ problems.
By embracing a generationally-diverse workforce, we can benefit from a wider variety of professional skills and life experiences, with opportunities for intergenerational learning, expanded networks and reciprocal mentorship. A range of perspectives leads to stronger innovation that can speak to wider customer demographics. The potential strengths that we can see in each generation should not be considered in isolation but as a collective. The collaborative outcome of empowering employees to play to their natural proficiencies can bring phenomenal benefits to a business resulting in happier, healthier and more productive teams.
While building generationally diverse and inclusive organisations is undoubtedly beneficial, it is important to remember that it must be achieved authentically. As with all protected characteristics, age must not factor in to the decision-making process when it comes to talent attraction or development. Instead of actively seeking to hire from different age groups, we are much more likely to see favourable outcomes by focusing on the inclusive practices that have a positive impact on multiple communities.
These practices include diversifying our talent sourcing methods, mitigating bias in our recruitment processes, and of course, building a healthy company culture. Intentional policies, provision for psychological safety, and equitable career progression opportunities all play a part here and naturally make our businesses more appealing to employees from a broader range of age groups. In turn, this supports organic growth and sustainable long-term mutual benefit.
It goes without saying that in order to see multiple generations working alongside each other successfully, we must resist a one-size-fits-all approach and instead adopt an attitude that favours flexibility, collaboration and a genuine value for individual contribution. We must foster an environment in which every employee can bring their authentic selves to work regardless of which generation they represent. This requires a proactive approach to challenging and rejecting generational stereotypes in favour of viewing everyone as an individual with unique characteristics. As with all aspects of diversity and inclusion, the key to success is in the inclusion element. When we build a culture of true belonging, true inclusion, our workplaces are able to support everyone to thrive both individually and collectively.
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Caroline Fox is Global Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy Lead at Tenth Revolution Group. Caroline joined the tech talent solutions firm in 2013 as part of the talent acquisition team and now leads the company’s EDI programme, bolstering an inclusive workspace and promoting best practice within the wider tech industry.