How to Overcome Generational Differences in the Workplace
- Angela Novelli
- Nov 21
- 4 min read
In today’s workforce, we are seeing vast diversity in the generations of workers that make up many companies in each industry. In one office, there may be Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers all working together despite the age range that exists.
In 2024, reports show that millennials made up the majority of the workforce at 36%, with Gen X trailing behind at 31%. Gen Z passed baby boomers as the third largest generation in the workforce, making up 18% while the latter sits at 15%. The silent generation makes up the remaining 1%.
With such a variety of ages in the workplace, a variety of differences in individual expectations and priorities is bound to come about. While these differences have been seen to be strengths and improve business operations, some challenges could arise that could be overcome with the assistance of strong leadership as well as collaboration from employees. In this article we will take a look at the state of generational differences in the workplace and how to overcome them to build a positive workplace culture.
Exploring Generational Differences in the Workplace
While the workplace has been evolving gradually over recent decades, a more noticeable shift came with the global pandemic in 2020, when nonessential workers had to learn to do their jobs from home. Ever since then, especially within the younger generations, new work expectations and priorities have emerged, which have brought both advantages and challenges to adapt to.
Let’s take a closer look at a few topics that come up within the workplace and discuss how the expectations and preferences differ between generations.
Work-Life Balance: For Gen Z and millennial workers, a work-life balance is a top priority, and that has been improved with the introduction of remote working during the pandemic. The switch back to working in the office was a disruption for many young workers that enjoyed the flexibility and comfort of working from home. Older workers prefer the traditional work environment, which highlights a big difference in the priorities of different generations.
Sense of Purpose: Young workers, especially Gen Z, seek a sense of purpose in their work. This could be joining companies that have values showing a positive social impact, or switching between multiple jobs to find one that feels right for them. Older generations tend to stay loyal to one or two companies for most of their career, prioritizing financial stability more than meaningful work.
Communication Preferences: Younger generations prefer to communicate quickly and conveniently over platforms like Teams or Slack, and have less of a desire to talk on the phone like older generations prefer. Baby boomers and those from Gen X are also used to having just one annual meeting, or even one every quarter. For millennials and Gen Z, regular check-ins and feedback are preferred in order to continue learning and building their knowledge and skills.
Mental Health: Young workers prioritize mental health in the workplace, which is something that older generations have mostly not experienced in their careers. Gen Z and millennials prefer to have open conversations about mental health and well-being in the workplace, while some older members of Gen X as well as baby boomers sometimes respond negatively to those kinds of topics.
Technical Expertise: Gen Z workers especially are recognizing that the future will greatly incorporate AI, and look to employers that will help prepare them for that inevitability. They are much more experienced with technology, and oftentimes the older generations struggle with adapting to it as it evolves.
Overcoming Differences for Multigenerational Success
Now that we’ve explored some of the generational differences in the workplace, we can delve into overcoming them for multigenerational success. The beauty of diversity is that there are unique traits for each individual and each generation, and the first step to bridging the gap is to recognize those differences and understand how to connect with one another and learn from each other. These strategies aim to assist company leadership with overcoming these differences within their teams, but employees can learn from these as well in order to collaborate and connect with their coworkers.
Foster Empathy: Focusing on human connection and empathy is a simple way to overcome generational differences in the workplace. It is important to understand that each individual employee has their own purpose and motivators, and fostering an empathetic environment encourages that idea. Make spaces for teams to gather and connect with one another to increase collaboration and mutual understanding.
Adapt to New Expectations: Each employee is different and unique, and it is important for company leadership to recognize different expectations and preferences that come with that individuality. Ensure each employee has what they need to succeed, and work with them to bridge any gap that might exist between those needs and what the organization currently offers.
Build a Strong Company Culture: It is important to build a company culture that unifies and empowers each member of a team, and encourages everyone to thrive and succeed in a collaborative way. Emphasize the core values of the organization to build connection between employees; even if they are of different generations, they all chose to work at the same company to strengthen the same values and work. This can help build a sense of community made up of the wisdom and expertise of the older generations combined with the fresh skills and perspectives of the younger generations.
Encourage members of different generations to share their perspectives and their knowledge with each other to forge stronger bonds. For example, younger generations teaching older generations more about technology and efficient ways to use it is a great way to overcome that barrier.
Generational differences in the workplace might be considered challenging at times, but embracing them as strengths instead can help enable overall success. Think of these differences as opportunities to adapt and learn to better organizational culture, making it an environment where everyone is able to thrive. The diverse range of employees that come with a multigenerational team can be a great recipe for success with strong collaboration and connection between each other.
“The beauty of the world lies in the mixing, managing, acceptance, and appreciation of generational differences.”
– Ty Howard, Motivational Speaker
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