Yorkshire and North East Conference '13 - Age diversity in the workplace, Jayne Barker and Linda Hudson
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This document summarizes a presentation given at the University of York on managing an age-diverse workforce. The presentation discusses how the modern workforce incorporates multiple generations with different work skills and styles. While this can lead to conflicts, an age-diverse workforce also provides benefits if institutions harness the varying strengths of different generations. The University of Sheffield was used as a case study, outlining programs they have implemented to support career development, leadership training, and work-life balance across generations. These initiatives aim to fully engage employees and celebrate diversity to improve individual and team effectiveness.
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Yorkshire and North East Conference '13 - Age diversity in the workplace, Jayne Barker and Linda Hudson
- 1. AUA Yorkshire and North East Conferen University of York 2013 Age Diversity in the Workplace : Is there an art to managing multiple generations with multiple work skills and styles? Jayne Barker and Linda Hudson University of Sheffield © The University of Sheffield
- 2. Introductions Jayne Barker AUA Fellow and former AUA Council member Departmental Manager/Professional Services Head Department of Human Communication Sciences Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health University of Sheffield Linda Hudson AUA Branch Co-ordinator Faculty Projects and Staff Development Officer Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health University of Sheffield © The University of Sheffield
- 3. Learning Aims Discuss trends in age-diversity across the workforce Outline the benefits for institutions in effectively harnessing an age-diverse workforce Debate impact of similarities/differences across workforce generations Explore methods of fully engaging the workforce through individual and team development © The University of Sheffield
- 4. 2013 Workforce incorporates.. Traditionalists/Veterans Baby Boomers Generation X Generation Y 1920 1945 1945 - 1964 1965 - 1980 1981 – 2000 (based on Morris Massey’s generational theory circa. 1970s) …Conflict in workplace dynamics? © The University of Sheffield
- 5. Generations at work … © The University of Sheffield
- 6. Society and work culture is evolving ... By 2025*: 2025 Generational Workforce Projection Baby Boomers 40% Gen Y 40% Gen X 20 % Baby Boomers & Gen Y will make up 80% or more of workforce; Generation X will never have the majority spot in the workplace (squeezed to just 20%) … potential skills vacuum in middle management & leadership? UK Population to rise by around 9.6 million by 2037 (according to Office of National Statistics) © The University of Sheffield
- 7. Celebrate diversity and source common ground for engagement: • Different generations CAN share values … • Harness experience (from a steady hand to an innovator) • Utilise the diversity of a team to breed reliability, commitment and motivation • Advocate flexibility/understanding in terms of working practices (where contractual arrangements allow) – Gen X & Y with young siblings, boomers with elderly parents, etc • Recognise loyalty means something different across generations • Managers need development to keep on top of their game © The University of Sheffield
- 8. What do you think? • Do you think “customer” needs, interaction and work styles differ in different generations? • Do you think your colleagues/Institution understand how work is done differently in different generations? GROUP DISCUSSION (20 minutes) Consider the handout on Generational stereotypes. 1. What are the key issues of Age Diversity for your team/organisation? 2. How does your institution engage its workforce? 3. What measures would you put in place to improve individual and team effectiveness? 4. What obstacles are in the way? • Each group to feedback for sharing ideas and good practice © The University of Sheffield
- 9. What is happening at The University of Sheffield Leadership and career development at University level: • The Sheffield Professional: career pathways, secondments, networking, personal development, focus groups, developing and embracing values • The Sheffield Leader (levels 1-4): impact groups to address institutional issues, staff exchanges, access to resources • New management policies and toolkits • Juice – Wellbeing • Work/life balance (Equality & Diversity issues via Athena Swan) • Apprenticeships • Investors in People © The University of Sheffield
- 10. What is happening in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Leadership and career development at Faculty level: • Establishment of a Faculty training and development group • GROW Programme (Mentoring scheme for professional services – expanded across 3 faculties) • Creation of a Training Fund allowing access to external learning and development events • Dedicated away day • Bite-size workshops on key topics • Special Interest Groups (SIGS): Google/REF/excel/HR/technical/PGR & PGT • Cross-Dept/Faculty Task & Finish Groups © The University of Sheffield
- 11. Faculty Outcomes: • 93 mentor/mentee applications to the GROW programme 2012/2013 • 150 delegates attended the annual learning and development event entitled “Working together: Create Excellence” • 45 applications received to the Faculty Training Fund – 40 awards totalling £11,253 – activity included conference attendance, CIMA certificate in business accounting, AAT accounting qualifications, Open University modules and taught programmes © The University of Sheffield
- 12. Everyone benefits from age diversity in the workplace Each generation brings: • • • • • New ideas and thinking Attributes and attitudes that have value Diverse skills and strengths Enhanced and diverse networking opportunities Benefits of lifelong learning © The University of Sheffield
- 13. Summary There is no magic wand for engaging the workforce! • Successful institutions recognise the value of individuals and exploit the diversity across workforce generations to their advantage • Organisations need to excite and inspire the workforce with ongoing opportunities for development and support to undertake that development - essential for institutional success • We should advocate more collaboration to build experience across teams and offer development opportunities for ALL individuals • Support Managers with training in leadership fundamentals to inspire others • The workforce is our most valuable resource! © The University of Sheffield
- 14. Have we achieved our Learning Aims? Discuss trends in age-diversity across the workforce Outline the benefits for institutions in effectively harnessing an age-diverse workforce Debate similarities/differences across workforce generations Explore methods of fully engaging the workforce through individual and team development © The University of Sheffield
- 15. Thank you for listening and for your contribution to this session. Our contact details: Jayne Barker • jayne.barker@sheffield.ac.uk Linda Hudson • Linda.hudson@sheffield.ac.uk © The University of Sheffield
Editor's Notes
- LINDA/JAYNE WORK TOGETHER IN SAME FACULTY – MEMBERS OF SAME UNIVERSITY AND FACULTY COMMITTEES – NOTICED THAT GROUP DIVERSITY IS WIDENING, PARTICULARLY AS INDIVIDUALS STAY IN WORK LONGER – WONDERED IF THIS COULD BE IMPACTING ON GROUP DYNAMICS AND SO WE BEGAN RESEARCHING THE IDEA OF GENERATIONAL THEORY (AS PER MORRIS MASSEY’S GENERATIONAL THEORY CIRCA 197Os) WHICH SUGGESTS THAT GENERATIONS BRING WITH THEM DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCES, WHICH DRIVE THEIR PRINCIPLES AND VALUES, AND THEREFORE IMPACT ON THEIR BEHAVIOUR, TOLERANCES, ANXIETIES ETC, WITH EACH OTHER WHEN WORKING IN A TEAM ENVIRONMENT.SO-CALLED “TRADITIONALISTS” : THE DEPRESSION; WORLD WAR II AFTERMATH; RATIONING; GENERAL HARDSHIP – PUT DUTY BEFORE PLEASURE! “LIFE IS HARD - THAT’S JUST HOW IT IS ” SUBSERVIENT – RESIGNED TO THEIR “LOT” IN LIFE. MORE ACADEMICS IN THIS ERA REMAIN THAN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.THEN THE “BABY BOOMERS” BORN INTO CELEBRATION OF POST-WAR PROSPERITY -CARRIED INTO SWINGING SIXTIES AND HIPPY “ANYTHING GOES” LIFESTYLE – MORE PERSONAL WEALTH COUPLED WITH HIGH INFLATION - BEGINNINGS OF EQUALITY FOR WOMEN – HUGE PERIOD FOR EXPLORATION : PUTTING MAN ON THE MOON – STRIVING TO GET MORE OUT OF LIFE THAN THEIR PARENTS – WANT TO BETTER THEMSELVES – FIRST ENTREPRENEURS! MANY “LIVE TO WORK” – LONG HOURS EQUALS DEDICATION IN THEIR EYES. DEFINITELY WORK BEFORE FAMILY FOR TYPICAL BABY BOOMERS.SO TO GENERATION X – SQUEEZED GENERATION - SMALLER IN NUMBER OVERALL THAN BOOMERS : CHILD OF BABY BOOMER– DUBBED “LATCH-KEY KIDS” – INDEPENDENT (PARENTS ALWAYS AT WORK!) – PREFER AUTONOMY. LIVING THROUGH FINANCIAL DOWNTURN AND LESS STABILITY IN JOBS AND FAMILY LIFE (DIVORCE RATES ETC).– PERIOD OF DEPRESSION AND ANARCHY (PUNK ROCK) “CHALLENGER SPACE SHUTTLE, WATERGATE SCANDEL) DISSOLUTION OF FAMILY LIFE – ERA OF PUNK ROCK AND ANARCHY - EARLY TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS – IE FIRST COMPUTERS – MOBILES LIKE BRICKS, FIRST TAKEWAYS ETC!. SEEN AS SQUEEZED GENERATION!GENERATION Y – WORLD IS SHRINKING “WWW” – GLOBAL COMMUNICATION ADVANCEMENTS – RISE OF MICROSOFT EMPIRE – FRIENDS REUNITED (FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA SITE); THIS GENERATION RECEIVE LOTS OF PARENTAL COSSETING IN THIS ERA – EXPECT CONSTANT PARENTAL GUIDANCE/SUPPORT ABOUT – HOW THEY ARE PERFORMING – HOW WONDERFUL THEY ARE ETC! USED TO A VOLATILE WORKING ENVIRONMENT – JOB FOR LIFE A THING OF THE PAST - NO INSTITUTIONAL LOYALTY – NOT IN ONE PLACE LONG ENOUGH. EXPECTED THAT THEY WILL MOVE AROUND ORGANISATIONS TO PROGRESS. USED TO SHORT-LIFE WORKING GROUPS. THRIVE ON CHAOS. HAPPY TO COLLABORATE TO GET JOB DONE BUT DEMAND CLEAR WORK-LIFE BALANCE - TO THIS GENERATION LONG HOURS DOESN’T EQUATE TO VALUE OR RESPECT – EXPECT TO WORK FROM HOME OR ANYWHERE! DON’T NEED TO BE IN WORK TO DO WORK!WE SHOULD SAY THAT NOT ALL INDIVIDUALS FIT NEATLY INTO A SPECIFIC GENERATION – SOME SIT ON THE CUSPS OF EACH GENERATION. UNUSUAL POSITION OFHAVING FOUR GENERATIONS WORKING TOGETHER IN OUR ORGANISATIONS. POTENTIAL FOR PROBLEMS FOR WORKPLACE CULTURE? THERE ARE ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST THIS THEORY.COMMON PRINCPLES/VALUES RUNNING THROUGH ALL GENERATIONS – STRENGTH OF FAMILY TIES, ALL WILL BE LIKELY TO HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR SIBLINGS/ELDERLY PARENTS , AND ALL VALUE PRAISE AND REWARD IN SOME FORM (OLDER GENERATIONS MORE ABOUT VALUING THEIR OPINIONS, YOUNGER GENERATIONS MORE ABOUT RECOGNISING THEIR TALENT). HOW DO WE HARNESS WHAT IS COMMON TO IMPROVE WORK CULTURE?FOUND VIDEO CLIP WHICH I GAINED PERMISSION TO SHOW TO YOU AS A TONGUE-IN-CHEEK REPRESENTATION OF THE DIFFERENCE/SIMILARITIES BETWEEN GENERATIONS AND HOW THIS COULD IMPACT ON THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP:
- So this is a clip about how generations might interact with each other – as I say a bit “tongue in cheek” but you will get the gist ……………
- JAYNESURE YOU CAN SEE SOME OF YOURSELVES IN THE CLIP WE HAVE SHOWN, AND I’M GUESSING SOME OF RESONATES IN TERMS OF YOUR OWN TEAM DYNAMICS AND CULTURE?THE CLIP DEALT WITH RELATIONSHIP (SIMILARITIES/DIFFERENCES) BETWEEN THE GENERATIONS – NOTICE THAT BOOMERS AND GEN Y WERE DOMINANTS WITH GEN X IN THE MIDDLE – THERE IS DATA TO BACK THIS UP – SUGGESTED GEN X WILL NEVER HAVE THE MAJORITY SPOT – LOWER IN NUMBER THAN BOOMERS AND GEN Y – LIKELY TO BE CASE THROUGH TO 2025 ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL PREDICTIONS. SOMETHING TO BE BORNE IN MIND WHEN ASSESSING TEAM CULTURE MAYBE?SO, WE DO KNOW WORK CULTURE IS EVOLVING ……………………………..WE ARE LIVING LONGER .......................85 FOR MEN FROM 79, AND 89 FOR WOMEN, PREVIOUSLY 83. HOWEVER THIS MEANS MOST 40 YEAR OLDS NOW SHOULD EXPECT TO WORK INTO THEIR LATE 60S AND EARLY SEVENTIES – WHO KNOWS FOR THE YOUNGEST OF OUR WORKING GENERATION!55s+ make up 17% of WORKFORCE NATIONALLY. BY 2025 40% OF THE WORKFORCE COULD BE 50+! YOUNGEST GENERATION (GENY) PROJECTED TO HOLD A SIMILAR 40% SHARE, WITH GEN X AGAIN PROJECTED TO BE SQUASHED IN MIDDLE MAKING UP THE FINAL 20%. I SHOULD SAY THIS DOESN’T MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR FULL-TIME VERSUS PART-TIME, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THERE IS EVERY CHANCE THAT THERE WILL NEED TO BE MORE FIXED TERM WORK (TO MATCH THE CHANGING FACE OF ENVIRONMENT) BUT ALSO PART-TIME FLEXIBLE WORKING REQUIRED FOR THE 50+ BRACKET.SHOULD WE BE PLANNING FOR HOW OUR INSTITUTIONS WILL GRAPPLE WITH MANAGEMENT OF TRAINING AND ENGAGING INDIVIDUALS WITHIN WORK TEAMS AS THE AGE DEMOGRAPHIC MOVES UPWARDS. HOW CAN INSTITUTIONS ENSURE ALL EMPLOYEES ARE VALUED AS EQUALS?
- JAYNE DIFFERING PERCEPTIONS GENERATIONS HEALTHY DIALOGUE – BRINGING DIFFERENT SKILLS TO THE TABLE – HARNESS THE BREADTH OF EXPERIENCE (INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY) – YOUNG MAY WELL BE MUCH MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY ABLE – IMPORTANT SKILLS FOR THE TEAM; AND MATURE MAY BE SKILLED IN COACHING/MENTORING WHICH CAN BE HARNESSED AS PART OF DEVELOPING APPRENTICESHIPS AND INTERNSHIPS. EXPLOIT THESE SKILLS AND CELEBRATE CREATIVITY INNOVATION THAT WILL FOLLOW – BUILDING COLLABORATION AND CONFIDENCE. A VALUED WORKFORCE IS MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BREAD COMMITMENT AND EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT GENERALLY ENGAGED TEAMS ARE HEALTHIER AND TAKE LESS LEAVE DUE TO ILLNESS. WORK WITH STAFF IN TERMS OF FLEXIBLE WORKING PATTERNS (WHERE POSSIBLE) – PART-TIME WORKING CAN BE RESOURCE-INTENSIVE FROM MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE BUT ADDED VALUE IN TERMS OF RETAINING EXPERIENCE OF BABY BOOMERS. AGAIN, SOME FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF WORKING FROM HOME/HOT DESKING ETC WILL PLAY TO NEEDS OF GENX AND Y’S. SHOULD WE ACCEPT INSTITUTIONAL LOYALTY IS A THING OF THE PAST OR HAS IT JUST EVOLVED ALONG WITH THE GENERATIONS – BABY BOOMERS WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE TO WORK WHILST GEN X AND Y WON’T BE SLAVES TO WORK, AS BABY BOOMERS EVENTUALLY MOVE OUT THERE WILL BE A FURTHER SHIFT IN TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE REQUIRED AS GEN X AND Y CONTINUE AND WE INTRODUCE THE NEXT GENERATION …………….. ALL OF THE ABOVE TOUCHES BASE THE IDEA OF STAFF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT – WHICH DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A NEGATIVE THING. EFFECTIVE AND CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT ACROSS A TEAM IS CRUCIAL TO GAINING THEIR WHOLEHEARTED RESPECT. HOWEVER, BOOMERS WILL NO LONGER BEEN ALLOWED TO WIND DOWN TO RETIREMENT – FULL COMMITMENT WILL BE NECESSARY TO KEEP THE EQUILIBRIUM, BUT FLEXIBILE OPTIONS FOR WORKING SHOULD EASE THE TRANSITION FOR THIS GENERATION. LETS NOT FORGET THAT NEED TO BE DEVELOPED AND KEEP THEIR MANAGERIAL SKILLS UP TO DATE TOO – CHALLENGE OF ONGOING PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IS NOT FOR ALL. OVER TO YOU LINDA …………………
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- LINDATo summarise then, we hope you’re not too disappointed that we can’t offer a magic solution for effectively engaging an age-diverse workforce. However there are lots of things that an organisation and an individual manager can do to create an appropriate environment where individuals can flourish and the institution can, in turn, be more successful. ……………………….. EtcetcetcGood luck everyone!
- Jayne OR LindaAll that is left for us to say is to thank you all once again for attending and participating in this workshop. We very much hope that you have enjoyed this workshop and that you have had a useful exchange of ideas, and that you are going away with an insight into what your institution can do to maximise the potential of its workforce.For information - Here are our e-mail addresses should you wish to contact either of us about any of the information covered in this workshop.We hope you enjoy the rest of the conference!Finally, can I please remind you to complete your feedback forms – the feedback you give is extremely useful both for us as session organisers, but also for AUA in planning for future events.Thank you.