Tech Startup Growth Hacking 101 - Basics on Growth Marketing
Managing an intergenerational workforce
1. Older workers and generational
differences
by Toronto Training and HR
May 2012
2. 3-4 Introduction to Toronto Training and HR
5-6 Work factors favoured by each generation
Contents 7-10
11-12
Reputation by generation
Understanding key generational differences
13-14 Minding the gaps
15-16 Recruitment and selection
17-20 Tips for generational diversity
21-23 Approaches for managing an
intergenerational workforce
24-27 Events where generational differences may
play a role
28-29 Targeted initiative for older workers
(TIOW)
30-31 What Generation X look for in organizations
32-34 Self-building opportunities for Generation X
35-37 Principles of managing Generation X
41-48 Case studies
49-50 Conclusion and questions
Page 2
4. Introduction to Toronto Training
and HR
• Toronto Training and HR is a specialist training and human
resources consultancy headed by Timothy Holden
• 10 years in banking
• 10 years in training and human resources
• Freelance practitioner since 2006
• The core services provided by Toronto Training and HR are:
- Training event design
- Training event delivery
- Reducing costs
- Saving time
- Improving employee engagement & morale
- Services for job seekers
Page 4
12. Understanding key generational
differences
Be unaware that the dynamics of generational
differences at work have been studied for about
twenty years now
Have some knowledge of generational differences.
Be highly knowledgeable regarding generational
differences
Page 12
14. Minding the gaps
Dispose of top-down rule
Know what your employees want
Adopt multi-channel communications
Engage through mentoring
Get older workers involved in recruiting
Page 14
18. Tips for generational diversity
1 of 3
Analyse your workforce profile in terms of age and
analyse the future impact of the changing
generational mix
Carry out an employee survey and analyse the
views and motivations of different age groups
Audit your internal communications to assess the
communication channels and styles
Does your employer brand really convey what is
compelling your organization as a place to work at
that attracts and engages all generations?
Page 18
19. Tips for generational diversity
2 of 3
Rigorously analyse career development
opportunities for all people through statistics and
career conversations
Consider radical changes to flexible working
practices
Maximize opportunities to enhance coaching and
mentoring across the generational groups
Re-engage Boomers by ensuring they feel
challenged and have development opportunities
Page 19
20. Tips for generational diversity
3 of 3
Re-evaluate corporate social responsibility policies
and practices
Identify the areas of commonality and build on
them
Page 20
22. Approaches for managing an
intergenerational workforce
1 of 2
Communicating information in multiple ways
Collaborative discussion, decision-making or
problem-solving
Training managers in dealing with generational
differences
Offering different types of training
Creating mentoring programs to encourage
workers of different generations to work together
and share experiences
Page 22
23. Approaches for managing an
intergenerational workforce
2 of 2
Training employees on working with people of
diverse age groups
Conducting a demographic audit of the workplace
to increase awareness of generational issues
Mediation
Keeping workers of different generations from
being assigned to work together where possible
Page 23
25. Events where generational
differences may play a role
1 of 3
Workers from different generations work
effectively together
Workers from different generations learn from one
another
Better quality of work due to a variety of
generational perspectives
Conflicts regarding acceptable work hours between
workers of different generations
Page 25
26. Events where generational
differences may play a role
2 of 3
Employees feeling co-workers from other
generations do not respect them
Communication breakdowns between workers of
different generations
Intergenerational mentoring
Perspectives of workers from two or more different
generations balancing each other
Page 26
27. Events where generational
differences may play a role
3 of 3
Employees stating that co-workers from other
generations are over and under reliant on
technology
Employees taking co-workers from other
generations less seriously
Resentment between workers of different
generations
Page 27
31. What Generation X look for in
organizations
Invest heavily in the training and development of
their employees
Care about their employees as individuals
Provide clear opportunities for long-term career
progression
Provide variety in daily work
Have a dynamic, forward-looking approach to the
organization
Page 31
33. Self-building opportunities for
Generation X 1 of 2
Learn marketable skills
Build relationships with people that can help them
Tackle challenges and produce results that will act
as evidence of their ability
Manage as much of their own time as possible
Work in an entrepreneurial environment
Page 33
34. Self-building opportunities for
Generation X 2 of 2
Be creative and innovative
Work as part of a team
Receive feedback and credit for valuable
contributions
Page 34
36. Principles of managing
Generation X 1 of 2
Accept them and learn to work with them rather
than to fight them
Use love and caring because they need to know
that you truly care about them as people
Support them outside work and show support for
them through difficult personal situations
Don’t baby them-they want to be seen as
independent and don’t micromanage them
Page 36
37. Principles of managing
Generation X 2 of 2
Ask, ask, ask-ask lots of questions and implement
solutions
Discuss your methods and explain how you would
like to manage and evaluate them
Train and orient them by meeting with them often
because training is a key motivator
Set specific standards
Make work fun
Page 37
39. Encouraging learning in
Generation X 1 of 2
Use action learning with the emphasis on reflection
and structured so that real issues are solved
Encourage incidental learning both through action
learning and in the workplace-which is often
unstructured and dependant on circumstances
Promote a culture of forgiveness, open-
mindedness and awareness
Page 39
40. Encouraging learning in
Generation X 2 of 2
Use formal learning with opportunities for self-
direction, such as e-learning emphasized over
structured classroom training
Use a human touch in development, such as
mentors and leaders
Adopt special programs such as job rotation,
stretch assignments, taskforce leadership,
mentoring and new product development
Page 40