Managing Generations

For the past decade, the HR spotlight has been focused on how to engage Millennials, and now a similar issue arises that Generation Z has arrived on the scene. But the management of generations goes far beyond just attracting and motivating young people – this article explains why and how.

These days, it is possible to have as many as four different generations in the same workplace.

GENERATION PROFILES

Below is a chart showing the generations and the years in which they were born (see Image 1). Naturally, the percentage of baby boomers is decreasing as they retire and are replaced on the payrole by their children and grandchildren (see Image 2).

What are some of the typical characteristics of each group? Born in different eras, their world and perception of it is influenced by their formative experiences and the social and technological context that they grew up in. While that certainly would have been different in the United States, the UK and Poland, there are some broadly common features