Diversity is a mandatory topic when it comes to improving work environments. In that sense, age diversity is an important piece for any inclusive and effective organization. Given that the average workplace now includes members of at least four different generations, companies that welcome all ages are more likely to succeed.
To approach this situation, Miguel Ángel Cruz, Head of Advanced Modular Consulting at MBI Talent Group shares his experience, insights, and tips for making a team age-diverse.
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“It is necessary to be very conscious that not all people are going to go at the same pace and that not all people have access to the same media or the facility to handle the different media we have. So I think it is a challenge not to have people of different ages all over the place, both for business processes towards customers as well as internal processes” . -Miguel Ángel Cruz
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According to Miguel Ángel, managing a multigenerational workforce in a modern environment poses a number of interesting challenges. “Despite having different backgrounds, preferences, and education, there is little to suggest that each generation should be managed or motivated very differently”, he adds.
In that sense, each generation grows up in a context that is slightly different, resulting in different generations having different perspectives and points of view. The generation divide is essentially the difference in mindset, preferences, and beliefs that occur when people are born in distinctly different periods. Individuals may prefer different styles of communication, and have alternative views and varying expectations that need to be clearly understood.
Benefits of Age Diversity
With so many different skill sets, experience, and talent pools, companies with a diverse age workforce have the opportunity to leverage these resources to mentor, inspire, teach, and support the entire team, giving the company and its people the best chance of success. Here are some of the most important benefits:
- Can help reduce staff rotation
- Increases performance and productivity
- Increases global demand
- Can produce the greatest innovation
- Different perspectives
From boomers to Gen Z workers
The inclusion of mature workers in the workplace can provide a company with a wide range of experience, knowledge, and resources. That can be used to address a variety of tasks and situations in an efficient and time-saving manner. In that sense, collaborators with diverse experiences can significantly improve many aspects of a company, from internal processes to customer service and product development.
On the other hand, millennials and employees over 55 are often perceived as more difficult to engage than other age groups. However, the “Global employee insights” survey dispels this myth and shows that, on average, these groups are more engaged, more satisfied with their jobs, and more positive about training opportunities.
For Miguel Ángel and personally, the myths of these generations are caused by the way we see them and not by their work, so he prefers to let actions speak and not categorize someone by their age.
Tips for integration
In addition, he shares with us some key points to make it easier to work with people of all ages:
- Design a comprehensive strategy
- Make sure you understand the benefits of an all-age workforce.
- Consider talking to the team at large about age diversity, primarily to instill a level of respect among team members for the different values, styles, skills and experiences each member brings to the workplace
- Implement a mentoring program in the workplace
In conclusion, Miguel Ángel mentions that increasing age diversity can make a company more productive, innovative, and responsive to consumer needs. By tailoring hiring, benefits, and onboarding to the needs of individual employees, companies can create the kind of inclusive culture that leverages the benefits of age diversity and provides a competitive advantage.
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At MBI Talent Group we have collaborators of all ages enriching us with their experiences, new ideas and different ways of seeing the world. If you want to know more about us, we invite you to visit our website where you can also find our services: https://mbitalent.group
