You know that people from different generations form a company workforce, right? It is important to understand what drives each of them, creating ways to connect with employees across the age range.
When you understand how to deal with the needs and expectations of each generation, you will not only avoid losing talented professionals, but also give them plenty of motivation to want to work with you.
Their background and motivations are diversified, but it doesn’t mean you can’t cultivate an environment that embraces all of them.
Take a look at the tips we have separated for you and discover how to improve your employees performances by connecting with them!
1. Know your employees
Take a moment to analyze your personnel profile and identify their ages. Probably you will find out you have people from four generations working for you:
- Baby boomers (born between 1940 and 1959)
- Generation X (born between 1960 and 1979)
- Millennials (born between 1980 and 1994) and
- Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2010)
Currently, the millennials compose the majority of the working population, while generation Z is now entering the workplace. The age gap between the generation Z and X is huge and it is necessary to evaluate how they can work together.
It is a challenge to manage a multigenerational team, but it can be easier if you know your employees. Knowing them is the first step to create effective ways to communicate and train the whole team, showing the age difference can be used in their favor instead of being an impediment.
For example, an older employee may have more experience dealing with stressful situations. He or she can help millennial employees to learn how to work in those conditions. On the other hand, a millennial who has more technology knowledge can teach co-workers from the generation X how to use them at work.
2. Hear the millennial employees
According to a recent Gallup study, 28 percent of young employees are frequently or constantly feeling burned out at work. In older generations the rate is 21 percent. As a leader, who priors their workers well being, take a look at your company and analyze how your team is feeling.
Talk with your millennial employees to identify what are the causes of stress and how you can help them. Show you care about what they have to say and that their opinions are valuable.
Burned out employees are more likely to have poor performances. They may find difficult to achieve the goals you expect from them. When you offer support to solve that problem, your employees will become more productive and your company will have better results as well.
3. Create company culture
Although millennials and generation Z workers look for financial rewards and career advancement, they also value working in a place that has team spirit and a culture, which identifies with their values. They want to feel their work has a purpose and you can do that by creating engagement.
Construct an environment that shows the company culture, communicate it through the way you lead your team and give personal specific feedbacks. According to the Center of Generational Kinetics research about Generation Z, 65 percent of them need frequent feedback from their supervisor to stay at their job.
Explain to each member of your team what are their strengths and where they can improve. Make clear that, regardless the age, their work is recognized and have a significant impact at the team results.
4. Use new technologies
Internet, social media and apps: technology has become a significant part of millennials and generation Z lives. Leaving that out of work doesn’t make sense anymore. Companies must invest in innovation and learn how to use technology in their favor.
If you neglect the multiple possibilities the digital world has brought you risk being outdated and jeopardize your company’s performance. For example, some companies are using virtual reality technology to train their employees’ skills in different scenarios.
The internal communication can be improved by the use of mobile apps, which serve as a mean to exchange ideas with other colleagues, organize the team’s tasks and receive relevant information about the company.
Employee’s apps have been considered a valuable asset, according to the research Future of Work, made by Google/Raconteur, 58 percent of technologies companies are thinking about implementing them. And there is a reason for that; smartphones is the most used device by the younger generations.
However there are many advantages on implementing new technologies at work, managers still have to deal with the challenge that internet and social media are distraction factors.
Constantly checking Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and other platforms can prevent the employees from completing their tasks. As a manager, you need to be aware of that and search for ways to increase your team focus.
5. Get involved
Although the use of emerging technologies may suggest millennial employees would rather communicate only through internet, an EY survey points out that 72 percent of generation Z workers wants to have face to face communication at work. While 90 percent finds important to have human element in their team.
That means creating a workplace that can pair human interaction and the use of technologies.
To achieve it, you must cultivate and cherish your relationship with your employees, get involved with them. The generation Z values supportive leadership and having good relationships at work.
But, you are only going to be able to offer that if you are willing to leave the executive floor and walk among the different sectors of your company. Talk to your employees and try to understand the daily dynamic of their works.
When you create this type of interaction your workers will feel much more inclined to give their best, because they see you care. It builds a trust relationship which is important not only to the younger generations, but to all of your employees.
It will increase the engagement level and the level of satisfaction, two crucial factors that will prevent you from losing millennial employees, who are talented professionals.
Do you want to truly connect with your millennial employees and, by consequence, superchange your company performance?
Phase Line Leadership can help you become the leader your employees need you to be. Book a 30-minute free first session and discover how to do that!