The Generation Game: Assembling and Getting the most from a Multi-Generational Workforce

Our recent webinar The Generation Game examined the creation and management of the multi-generational workforce. With a panel consisting of Juliet Crisp, Head of People Strategy, Governance and Planning at The Post Office, Nick Walrond, Managing Director, Sanderson Government & Defence – the webinar’s sponsor – and Andrea Metherell, Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Wellbeing, Capgemini, the conversation explored the current development of the age diverse workplace, the challenges and opportunities this presented.

While the panel identified four or five different generations active in the workplace, the point was also made that it was not always useful to rely on such stereotypes to structure an approach to attraction and employment. As Nick Walrond pointed out, people are now doing different things at different times in their life and in this context flexibility is crucial if organisations want to enable people to create a satisfying balance between work and life.

The point was also made that for some roles and industries it is more difficult to offer that flexibility – sometimes it is necessary for an employee to be in a specific location for a specific period of time. In these cases there may be initial work required to position the job and manage expectations for candidates. Done correctly diverse candidates will still come to the role understanding what the job requires.

One important requirement of employers is to be ready to listen to their employees, to reflect what they want and find ways to accommodate their working styles and preferences. The point was made that employees come to work for a whole host of different reasons – even because they’ve discovered retirement isn’t quite right for them at the moment – and organisations which can make this happen are the ones who will benefit from the most diverse workforces.

As the workforce becomes older and people live longer the place of work will no doubt continue to shift and change. Age diversity is an important issue which employers need to be aware of and work with in order to maker the most of the skills and knowledge held within the complete candidate pool.