With the retirement age being pushed back and our population ageing, businesses are going to have to learn how to manage workforces made up of a broader age spectrum. 

Inevitably, dealing with 18- to 67-year-olds – and possibly older – will throw up many challenges for managers. In recognition of this, talent communications agency, Talent Works International, established its Gen Up project to research the complexities of a multi-generational workforce.

In particular, as a firm specialising in employer branding, it wanted to help clients define their brands, as well as the recruitment and retention strategies that would speak to multiple generations. In the process, it aimed to debunk some of the stereotypes gaining increasing traction across social media, such as LinkedIn. 

The research was carried out among 1,200 participants across industries and locations. It consisted of 300 from each generation: Generation Z, born 1995 to 2009; Generation Y, born 1982 to 1994; Generation X, born 1966 to 1981; and Baby boomers, born postwar. 

Katharine Newton, head of insight, Talent Works International, says: “We’d seen research looking at one or two of the generations but struggled to find any looking at all four simultaneously – yet that is the reality; lots of work places have that.”

Newton says that keeping an open-mind from the outset was important as it sought to discover if it was possible to have an employer brand that could speak to all four generations, or if separate strategies would be needed.

 “Many people and employers assume that generations aren’t on the same page and that multi-gen is prone to conflict and disconnect, so it was heartening to find a lot of common ground between the generations. 

“So, there is scope for an over-arching employer brand and recruitment strategy, but there are key areas where employers would be advised to dial up their messaging and proposition,” she says. For example, the research pointed to older generations feeling they were being overlooked in terms of training and development, and that they weren’t getting the same opportunities as younger employees. 

“It’s that assumption that when you hit 50 you’ve nothing more to learn – that you know it all. But our research suggests over 50s don’t feel that way, and that there’s a strong appetite for training,” says Newton.

When meeting younger generations’ requirements, Newton suggests employers increase the frequency of their reward and recognition programme.

Geoff Pedder, lead consultant at Talent Works International, says another commonality they saw was how important communication was across the generations. 

“All four generations were looking for more communication than they were receiving. The elder generation was receiving even less than younger ones. It backs up the feeling that they are thought of as not needing those updates; is that generation being seen as a waste of time?”

One of the stereotypes explored was that younger generations don’t have a strong work ethic. However, when Talent Works asked what it means to add value and go the extra mile, the younger respondents had thought about that and were quite able to articulate it. 

Consequently, it recommends that employers communicate their expectations of what going the extra miles means, so that it is clear to all parties.

Becky Grove, another lead consultant at Talent Works, says one of the biggest challenges is the continued, old-fashioned idea of what the workplace is. 

“Even though state pension age is getting higher and higher, people are working longer but we’re still acting like they’re not – that they don’t need to learn past 50 because they are coming up to retirement age.

“If you look at figures out there – Business in the Community did a report on age in the workplace and looked at how many people are getting work-related training – 11% over the age of 60 received some form of training and for under 50s it was 30%,” Grove says.

Newton sees that balance, for employers, of addressing the shortfall in training opportunities for the older generations – while not taking their eyes off the ball for younger generations – as the biggest challenge. However, she says one of the biggest positives that came out of its study was the degree of willingness across all generations to work together and learn from each other. 

 “Employers need to promote reverse-mentoring a lot more. We explored the younger boss phenomenon – young grads being fast-tracked into managerial and leadership positions, so you increasingly end up with someone older reporting to another much younger. 

“We asked all the generations how they felt about that and we were encouraged to see all generations – including older people – were very comfortable with it. That’s a real positive for all employers, and something they can capitalise on.“