The Tricky Task of Managing the New, Multigenerational Workplace

Employees forgoing retirement are becoming an essential part of the workforce, which is changing workplace dynamics and forcing managers to accommodate an older and more multigenerational labor pool, reports the Wall Street Journal . Firms must now contend with large numbers of workers who are up to six decades apart in age, and create opportunities for young employees to advance while also ensuring veterans feel valued. To maintain productivity and innovation, they must persuade multigenerational employees to work together. "Managers have to identify what skills and strengths each individual employee can contribute and confront their own biases so they can move their teams beyond labels," says Retirement Wisdom's Joe Casey. Also challenging is persuading older workers, often fearful of losing their jobs, to help younger workers. Managers also have to rework the typical strategy of having employees work with others their age. Younger and older employees can exchange skills and perspectives on mixed-age teams, and younger employees may follow advice more easily from older colleagues than from peers because they know they are not vying for the same things. Reverse or reciprocal mentoring programs also encourage multigenerational knowledge sharing. Although managers often think most benefits are focused on particular groups of employees, evidence suggests they are universally applicable across generations.