Currently in many companies there are 4 generations of workersa new social phenomenon resulting from social security reforms which have raised the retirement age and extended working life. Thus, young people belonging to the latest generation Z, the digital natives, find themselves working alongside young people. baby boomers still active in many companies: one in five workers is over 55.
With a highly diverse workforce, companies must manage and integrate different roles and behaviors. Older workers bring greater know-how and experience, while younger workers have profoundly different expectations.
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How to organize intergenerational integration
In recent years, the number of workers aged 55 to 64 has increased significantly. The aging of the Italian workforce influences organizations that must face the question of Age diversity (a phrase used to refer to workers of different ages in the same workplace) creating a balance of skills and thinking patterns between workers of different age groups. Luisa Macciocca, university professor of organizational and managerial developmentillustrates the issues underlying the theme of integration between generations in the world of work, defined age management.
“The richness of intergenerational diversity must be managed upstream in a synergistic manner. The objective is to make 4 generations interact and collaborate effectively through the integration of skills, attitudes and visions to lead the company towards success in increasingly competitive markets. The risk lies in conflicts between people belonging to different generations working together with different experiences, skills and working approaches. We must develop cooperation within teams by stimulating innovation through diversity and transforming generational diversity into a strength..”.
The theme ofage management is managed by companies with structural interventions that promote the different strengths present at different ages. Which means valuing the diversity of cultures and experiences to increase the company's activity.
Diversity between generations: a source of wealth for businesses
Business initiatives must leverage the value of workers of different generations. This diversity, if managed correctly, can have a positive impact on business results. The problem also exists in the Public administration where the average age of workers is 50 years old.
“Based on information provided by a sample of 150 people in 10 workshops carried out in Italy – specifies the teacher Luisa Macciocca interviewed – it turned out that over time, elderly people their physical working capabilities and the speed of learning new things decrease, but at the same time they have acquired professional experience, skills and abilities with socio-relational diplomatic skills. Seniors are particularly capable of planning strategies and calculating risks. The abilities possessed by younger these are willingness to learn, flexibility, predisposition to diversity and innovative change and, certainly, better management of work-life balance (work-life balance).”.
Those who deal with business strategies advise companies to achieve the reverse mentoring, of the team mixed, including various age groups. Senior and junior figures, reflecting on this topic, exchange their experiences and skills. Only with dialogue in multi-age meetings can diversity be appreciated by creating structured initiatives. The objective is to transform the relationships between the 4 generations, which are objectively culturally difficult, by developing synergies and innovations.
Business leaders face a new challenge: preparing previous generations of workers to welcome new generations. An integration that includes different age groups, from generation Z to baby boomers, improves cohesion, bridges the age gap and forms a corporate culture faithful with a common vision of values, beyond the objectives intergenerational cultural diversity.
