The power of a multigenerational workplace

Walk into almost any successful business today, large or small, and you are likely to see one of the most powerful forces shaping the modern workplace: generations working side by side.

A 20-year-old employee may be working alongside someone in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s or beyond. At first glance, those differences in age, experience and perspective might seem like a challenge. But for businesses willing to embrace them, a multigenerational workforce can be one of their greatest competitive advantages.

At the Better Business Bureau, we often say that trust is built in every interaction. A diversified age grouping in workplaces does the same thing inside a business. It helps employees listen better, learn from one another and serve customers with a stronger sense of experience, innovation and integrity. The key is recognizing that every generation brings something valuable to the workplace.

Younger employees often bring fresh perspectives, technological confidence, new ways of communicating and a willingness to challenge traditional ways of doing things. More experienced employees can bring institutional knowledge, industry expertise, relationships, in person networking, and judgment and lessons learned from decades of successes and failures.

Put those strengths together, and something powerful can happen. Knowledge gets transferred. Ideas get challenged. Skills get developed. And businesses become stronger.

For a small business, this can be especially important. When there are only a handful of employees, every person matters. Losing an experienced employee can mean losing years of knowledge about customers, suppliers, procedures and relationships.

That is why businesses should think beyond simply replacing an employee who leaves. They should create opportunities for experienced workers to share what keeps customers, suppliers and daily operations running smoothly.

A healthy multigenerational workplace creates a two-way exchange. The veteran employee might teach a younger colleague how to handle a difficult customer, negotiate with a supplier or recognize a problem before it becomes a crisis. The younger employee might show that same colleague a more efficient software platform, a new social media strategy or a technology that can save hours of work.

Large companies can take this concept even further through formal mentoring, reverse mentoring, cross-generational teams and knowledge-sharing programs. A younger employee can be paired with a veteran manager to learn leadership and industry skills. At the same time, that manager can learn about emerging technology, changing consumer expectations and new communication habits.

Another important benefit is perspective. Consumers themselves are multigenerational. Their expectations, buying habits and communication preferences can vary dramatically depending on their age and life experience.

Having employees from different generations can help a business better understand those customers. Multigenerational workplaces can also improve employee development and retention.

People want to feel that their experience matters. They also want opportunities to learn and grow. When employees are encouraged to learn from one another rather than being divided by age, the workplace can become more collaborative and less competitive.

Business owners also should be careful about stereotypes. Not every younger employee is a technology expert. Not every older employee is resistant to change. Generational labels can sometimes create the very divisions a company is trying to avoid.

The goal isn’t to have different generations simply occupy the same office. The goal is to get them working together. That means putting people of different ages on the same projects. Encourage them to solve problems together. Give younger employees meaningful responsibilities while allowing experienced employees to serve as resources rather than gatekeepers.

And don’t underestimate the value of storytelling. Some of the most important lessons in business aren’t found in a manual or online tutorial. They’re learned through experience. How do you calm an angry customer? How do you recover when a major deal falls apart? How do you build a relationship that lasts 20 years? How do you make a difficult decision when there isn’t an obvious answer?

Experience has a way of teaching those lessons. For business owners, the opportunity is to build a culture where age is not viewed as a dividing line but as another form of diversity. The businesses that understand that may find that one of their greatest assets isn’t a new piece of technology, a bigger marketing budget or a sophisticated strategy.

That’s the magic of a multigenerational workplace and with the right mix, it can become an strategy for the ages!

Steve J. Bernas is president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau and can be reached at sbernas@chicago.bbb.org.