When managing a workforce of a variety of ages, give one tip on how to best manage and customize employee engagement techniques?
To help you manage a multigenerational workplace, we asked business leaders and people managers this question for their best strategies.
From tailoring your message to fit each audience to embracing non-tech team bonding, there are several tips to help you manage your multigenerational workforce in ways that benefit all age groups and the company at large.
Here are eight strategies for managing a multigenerational workplace:
- Tailor Message To Fit Each Audience
- Develop a System To Easily Report Concerns
- Conduct Surveys
- Make Employees Feel Valued and Appreciated
- Encourage Intergenerational Collaboration
- Leverage VR To Create a Common Virtual Environment
- Keep Learning From All Age Groups
- Embrace Non-Tech Team Bonding
Tailor Message To Fit Each Audience
With such an age-diverse workforce, it’s important to use different communication channels to ensure that everyone is getting the information they need.
Try using a mix of face-to-face, email, and online communications.
And make sure to tailor your message to each audience – what works for millennials might not work for older employees.
Millennials and Gen Z prefer getting information in short, bite-sized chunks, while older generations may appreciate more in-depth communications.
By using a variety of communication channels and tailoring your message to each group, you’ll be able to better engage all of your employees.
Danielle Bedford, Coople
Develop a System To Easily Report Concerns
Develop a system where employees can easily report any concerns or issues that they may have.
This can be done by creating an easy-to-use reporting platform or even simply having a channel where employees can voice their thoughts directly to you.
Once you have received reports, it is important to respond promptly and address the issue head-on.
You could do this through face-to-face discussions, written memos, snap polls/surveys, or inspirational speeches.
Additionally, make sure to reward your employees for engaging with your company in a positive manner!
This will help them feel appreciated and motivated to continue contributing positively to the team’s success.
Paw Vej, Financer.com Ltd
Conduct Surveys
Finding what motivates employees is one of the first steps in developing employee engagement techniques.
However, when dealing with a variety of age groups, motivation factors could be very different.
One of the best ways to understand employee engagement is by conducting regular surveys.
Especially with a diverse workforce, surveys help management gain a better understanding of what techniques work best for the team as a whole.
Regular surveys also help management understand how employee engagement is changing and give feedback on how all employees can be better served.
Jeffrey Pitrak, Transient Specialists
Make Employees Feel Valued and Appreciated
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing a workforce of a variety of ages, but here are some tips on how to best manage and customize employee engagement techniques:
Make sure all employees feel valued and appreciated.
This can be done by regularly communicating your company’s values and ensuring everyone understands and embraces them.
Additionally, show appreciation for good work by offering promotions, incentives, or other opportunities.
Travis Lindemoen, nexus IT group
Encourage Intergenerational Collaboration
While there can be some differences between different age groups, it’s important to encourage intergenerational collaboration.
This can help break down stereotypes and build a more cohesive workplace.
When employees of different ages work together, they can learn from each other and build on each other’s strengths.
Encourage mentorship programs, cross-departmental projects, and team-building activities that bring employees of all ages together.
The more collaboration and understanding there is between different age groups, the better your work culture will be.
Igal Rubinshtein, Home Essentials Direct
Leverage VR To Create a Common Virtual Environment
Virtual Reality gadgets and technology offer business managers an innovative way of encouraging and customizing employee engagement.
With VR, it is possible to bridge the age gap in the organization by creating a common virtual environment that accommodates the tech proficiencies of each employee into consideration.
VR makes it possible to customize employee engagements even by temperament hence better collaboration on projects.
Gisera Matanda, WeLoans
Keep Learning From All Age Groups
Be willing to keep learning. Just because they are your employees doesn’t mean you know more about everything when it comes to your business.
An older generation brings experience to the table, while the younger generation brings a fresh perspective and tends to be more aware of what’s cutting edge.
Putting up a front that you know more about everything not only limits your opportunities to better yourself but can lead to your employees feeling undervalued.
Maintaining a culture of being open and respectful gives everyone in your company a voice, regardless of age, and more respect for you.
Monte Deere, Kizik
Embrace Non-Tech Team Bonding
With a cross-generational workforce, it is essential to note that tech is the one aspect that creates most gaps between employees of different ages.
Whether collaborating on a project or communicating, tech is a hurdle.
However, non-tech bonding allows all employees to interact in person, thus creating chemistry that enables learning and effective teamwork.
Host at least two non-tech (if possible outdoor) team-building events and observe the positive impact it has on your workforce.
Ivy Bosibori, USBadCreditLoans
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