With life expectancy rates and the desire to work for longer only increasing amongst the general population, it isn’t hard to understand why the modern workplace is the most diverse workforce in a long time.

While the idea of being able to work for longer is certainly something to celebrate, it does bring up a distinct set of challenges for managers. Namely, the fact that company heads will have to supervise and engage with different age groups in the workplace.

As one of the key ways to encourage employees to be efficient and effective, modern-day managers must find simple and yet effective ways to relate to and supervise each age group. Otherwise, divisions between colleagues and management may prove costly.

5 tips to help effectively manage different age groups

The idea of managing workers in different age groups can seem like an uphill battle. With people from diverse age groups at such different stages in their careers, let alone their lives, it’s natural that each employee will have different wants and needs.

These differences in wants and needs mean that a blanket style of management simply won’t work, as instead of feeling connected, some employees may be left feeling undervalued, underused and underappreciated.

With this in mind, there are ways to effectively manage different age groups. By approaching management with a certain level of flexibility, you can be sure to get the best out of each of your employees and this will only benefit the company in the long run.

Tip 1: Encourage collaboration

Employees from different generations have a lot to offer. For example, younger generations can provide an insight into what modern-day consumers are looking for. Employees from older generations have the contact lists to make things happen.

By encouraging collaboration between employees from different generations, managers are putting their best employees on a project. By putting these different employees together, projects are being completed by a team with a much more rounded skill set.

Tip 2: Develop individualised incentive plans

In some workplaces, incentives are the same for everyone and they tend to become less prevalent as employees get older. This is especially harmful as it makes older employees feel undervalued and underappreciated.

It can also breed generational resentment between employees of different age backgrounds. For example, if only the younger workers are receiving incentives for doing the same amount of work, it’s only natural for older employees to feel left out.

To make sure that every employee is valued and engaged at work, it is important for managers to develop individualised incentive plans. This means giving each employee a bonus applicable to where they are at in their life rather than giving them no bonus at all.

Tip 3: Offer training and development

It’s a common misconception that older workers are stuck in their ways. By offering employees of a certain age no training or development, as a manager, you are essentially buying into this stereotype. To get the most out of all employees, offer the same programs.

Tip 4: Understand your employee’s skills

Employees from different age backgrounds simply have different skills. Rather than setting employees up to fail, get to know them personally. Ask questions about their work background, what they like to do and what they would rather not do.

By doing this, you are setting employees up to succeed- no matter their age background. By understanding the value each of your employees possesses, you are better positioned to put them in work situations and working groups where they can shine.

Tip 5: Participate in conflict resolution

A lot of managers like to stay out of conflicts between employees. However, in order to properly manage employees from different age groups, getting involved with conflict resolution is a must.

As an objective third party, managers can help get to the heart of the issue and ensure that employees don’t consciously or subconsciously convey age biases. By being there to manage the situation, managers can also provide tools to resolve future conflicts.

With 9 in 10 people surveyed by Australian Seniors reporting that they believe ageism to be prevalent in the workforce, it’s important for managers to get involved in resolving conflict early, before it leads to more systemic issues.

Managing a diverse workforce

Effectively managing a diverse workforce doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, managers need to be prepared to get to know their employees on a human level. This way, when it comes time to engage employees, managers know what makes their employees tick.

With more workers wanting to stay in the workforce longer, it’s never been a more important time for managers to learn how to oversee and engage employees from a range of different age groups.

By taking the time to get to know employees and employing a few different management techniques, managers can sit back and enjoy the distinct benefits that an age-diverse workforce can bring to a company.

Infographic created by Factor8 – virtual sales manager training

Author’s Bio

Maddy has a journalism background and is an aspiring novelist. Proud dog mum to two border collies TJ and Max and has the ability to decipher any Taylor Swift song lyrics hidden meanings.

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Madeline Pappas

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