Upcoming Seminar: Managing an Intergenerational Workforce

On the 13^th of December our India office will be holding their first event in partnership with Arcadia Consulting. We will be exploring the future of work and how to manage an intergenerational workforce in the current climate. 

In today's diverse and dynamic workplaces, understanding the nuances of generational differences has become a crucial element of effective management and collaboration. Ahead of the event Director of our India office Gaurav Yadav sat down with our speaker Omprakash SP and Vincent Romano, Executive Client Director – SEA both from Arcadia Consulting to share what to expect from the upcoming event, outline the different generations in the workforce today, what they expect from their careers and how it will serve organisations to take this into consideration. 

Gaurav (GY): Vincent and Omprakash, thank you for joining me today for this Q&A ahead of our event which I am very much looking forward to bringing to our HR Community in India. To kick off, tell us about the upcoming event ‘The Future of Work: How to Manage an Intergenerational Workforce in the Current Climate’. 

Vincent (VR): Thank you Gaurav, we are very much looking forward to expanding our partnership with Elliott Scott HR into India. At this event we’re going to give an understanding of how to be a more effective leader or team member in a rapidly changing workforce. We will dispel some myths and stereotypes around generations at work and figure out how to better engage and motivate people, regardless of their age or cultural background. We’ll also give some tips for flexing among communication styles, deepening relationships and handling challenging situations. 

GY: Who would benefit from attending?  

Omprakash (Om): Likewise, looking forward to delivering this session to your HR Community Gaurav. We have designed the session as an introduction to Intergenerational Workforces which is accessible for everyone. As our event in India is being run as a roundtable, Human Resources professionals, particularly those who manage teams and at more senior levels, would definitely find it useful. 

GY: What can participants expect to learn?  

Vincent (VR): Participants will learn how generations are affected by significant events that occur during the formative years of their lifetime. These can be economic shifts, conflicts that take place in local regions, or social movements, across whole counties or across the globe. Different countries can have different mixes of generations. So, it’s not just about learning about different generations in India, we will also discuss different generations across the world. 

GY : Tell us more about the different generations in the workforce today?  

Om: While categorisations vary, it is generally understood that there are four generations in the workplace at present – Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X and 

Baby Boomers. 

Currently, most of the global workforce is made up by Generation X and Millennials, while the proportion made up by the eldest generation, Baby Boomers, is enduring due to increased workplace flexibility, which enables people to work for longer and with greater ease.  

By 2030, it is estimated that Millennials and Generation Z will comprise two-thirds of the global workforce and that the newest generation, Generation Alpha, will have made their workforce debut. This means that very soon we will have five generations in the workplace at one time, which has never happened before.  

However, in India, there are varying categorisations of generations, with one study of categorising generations based on phases of India’s economic development, Srinivasan (2012) - 

1. Pre-Liberalisation Generation (pre-1991) 
2. Early Liberalisation Generation (1992-2001) 
3. Rapid Growth Generation (2002-2006) 
4. Plateau Growth Generation (2007-2012) 

GY: What are the different generations expectations from their careers and the organisations they work for?  

VR: Let’s take Generation Z as an example. As a result of people losing their jobs during events such as the Global Financial Crisis and the Covid pandemic, younger generations such as Generation Z have less job security and less loyalty to employers. As such, they will often have higher rates of turnover. Gen Z, therefore, thrive in dynamic, fast-changing environments as they experienced global disruptions in their education, work and social settings.  

Also, due to these global events, younger generations tend to rate salary packages as one of, if not the most, important considerations when it comes to choosing a job. They are also becoming more environmentally conscious and are considering the environmental impact of organisations when moving roles.  

All these examples clearly have massive implications on HR functions such as Talent Acquisition, Talent Management and Compensation & Benefits which organisations need to consider when devising their talent strategies. 

GY: Is it fair to generalise generations?  

OM: As with other types of diversity domain such as gender, culture or age, generations are not necessarily homogeneous. There are age-related influences common across generations; and there are cultural factors which lead to individuals within the same generation to have different values and working preferences. There are also individual differences which lead to different motivations and attitudes in the workplace.  

It is important not to over-generalise. Stereotypical beliefs can often be problematic, they can get in the way of how people collaborate with their colleagues and can have troubling implications for how people are managed and trained. The important thing is for employers to consider reasons for why an individual thinks, feels and behaves the way they do. 

GY: How will it serve organisations to understand the different generations in their workforce?

OM: Communication in an organisation and amongst a workforce is key. The pandemic, Internet, social media, and apps such as WhatsApp and Slack have all shaped people’s communication styles. And as a result, shaped the different generations. Understanding communication styles and adapting to these is critical to understanding generations. 

Quite simply, when people feel understood and seen, they feel psychologically safe and this leads to a more positive work environment, more innovation, enhanced performance, and contribution. If you want to be a better leader in today’s environment, you should get to know your people better. Our upcoming event in India will showcase effective ways to do this.

Our event ‘The Future of Work: How to Manage an Intergenerational Workforce in the Current Climate’ will be held in New Delhi on the evening of the 13^th of December, if you are a senior HR professional interested in attending please contact Gaurav at gy@elliottscotthr.com. The opportunity to network with your peers will follow the seminar.