Businesses who embrace this are more agile when it comes to problem solving, creativity and idea generation
The NZ Government is predicting that one quarter of the nation’s workforce will be aged 55 or older by 2020.
It’s an important statistic given that 88% of Kiwis prefer to work as part of a multi-generational team of 10-15 years difference in age, according to Randstad New Zealand’s latest Workmonitor findings.
Moreover, 83% of Kiwis believe that companies with age-diverse workforces are better placed to come up with innovative ideas and solutions.
Given many businesses are managing up to five generations of workers, there’s much to be gained by striving for a workplace culture that brings out the best across generations, according to Nan Dow, executive practice director of RiseSmart Australia and New Zealand – a Randstad company.
“These generational differences are quite literally the ‘future of work’ and having such a rich and diverse talent pool can be a huge advantage for businesses,” said Dow.
“In order to create a positive culture that gets work done, businesses need to encourage employees to look beyond preconceived stereotypes and bias.”
Even though most industries are on board with age diversity at work, the report revealed that some sectors are well ahead of the ‘curve’ when it came to embracing a multi-generational workplace.
Indeed, the industry sectors leading the age-diversity charge are ‘general business’ (95%) followed by education (95%) and construction (92%).
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“Industries and customers are diverse, so having an employee base that reflects the end customer and can relate to their needs is obviously a competitive advantage to any business,” said Dow.
However, when it came to communication among age diverse workers, the main difference when working in a multi-generational workplace was communication styles.
Randstad New Zealand country director Katherine Swan added that the study found that 75% of Kiwis believe the way we communicate is one of the biggest differences within multi-generational workforces.
“An example of where we see this is during the recruitment process. Most people forget their target audience,” said Swan.
“Different demographics should be aware of contrasting communications styles that are expected and appropriate within the workplace, this includes different formats, media, regularity of communications and appropriate terminology.”
Interestingly, it was Millennials (Kiwis aged 18-34) who struggled most, with 38% finding it difficult to communicate with coworkers not from their generation, compared to their older counterparts with only 13% of Generation X and Baby Boomers (Kiwis, aged 45-67), citing the same concerns.
“To help overcome this challenge that will resonate with the intended audience, having an industry expert or mentor review your CV and conduct a mock interview with you will, help prepare you to present yourself in an authentic and appropriate way,” said Swan.
When it comes to career progression opportunities, mature age can be seen as both a challenge and an opportunity.
Moreover, 56% of Kiwis feel that younger employees have more career progression opportunities than the more mature workforce, and almost half (48%) believe the generations are treated differently by their managers.