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Baby Boomers, Employco, Employee Assistance Report, generation gap, Impact Publications, Millennials
Generation gaps are nothing new, but the battle between Baby Boomers and Millennials is one for the record books. Never before have two generations been so at odds and so out of touch with each other’s culture and desires.
“The older generation just doesn’t get today’s young people,” says Rob Wilson, president of Employco, “All they see is a bunch of distracted kids playing on their cell phones and posting on Facebook in the middle of the workday. However, I think there are actually plenty of things we could stand to learn from the younger generation…but first we have to start speaking their language.”
Wilson suggests ways to bridge the generation gap in the workplace:
• Think outside the 9-5 box. “In previous generations, we clocked in and clocked out from 9-5. But today’s young people don’t work that way…they would rather have flexible schedules or the ability to work part-time from home. And with advanced technology, the reality is that some people can get more work done at home than they can in the office. Companies need to be open to the idea of alternative work schedules.”
• Trade mentoring skills. “We often think that young people need to be mentored by older people, and that’s certainly true to some extent. However, it can be a two-way street. Maybe you can teach a young person in your office how to give a stellar presentation, but he can teach you how to create an online presence for your company.”
More tips will be presented in the next post on this blog. This topic is also covered in the March 2015 “Employee Assistance Report” newsletter. More info available at http://www.impact-publications.com.
For more information on Employco, visit http://www.employco.com