Bridging the Age Gap
NATURAL law enjoins that the young and the old co-exist; and the workplace is no exception. Workplaces today are teeming with competing generations - old and young, ready to take on the world with either the refreshing freshness of youth or the rewarding experience of age. Handling such a workforce efficiently is important for any management.
Lateral recruitment may result in displacement of older employees from their earlier positions. An older employee holding a managerial position till then might be forced to play the role of a subordinate to a new, young recruit.
For an older employee, who has been with the organisation for long, the change in status quo from a position of authority to the role of a subordinate might rake up several issues. Issues like the company's priority to seniority, experience and exposure to work, etc. will raise their heads. These issues can trigger problems like jealousy, dissatisfaction and anger among employees. But, there's much more to this than the age divide.
For any experienced person, the very thought of working under a fresher might be unwelcome. The senior employees perceive the new recruits' inexperience as inability and lack of confidence in their ability. They might even look down upon the new entrants as being inefficient.
Ways to bridge the gap
The old should match their steps to the youngster's speed: Older employees can keep pace with their younger colleagues by changing their outlook.
They should realise that they are just as old as they assume themselves to be.
They should be open-minded; invite fresh ideas and innovative thoughts
They can try to learn new software, new procedures and the recent developments in their field
They should learn the new technological jargon, so that they can communicate with the younger lot
They should be aware of their limitations
They should remember that their energy levels cannot always remain at the same point
They should try to take small professional risks and use trial and error methods to learn
The Management's role
In any organisation there is always a difference of opinion in matters of policy and decision-making. Though academic degrees can vouch for their skilfulness, the younger employees should realise that their senior colleagues are far more experienced and hence could have a better perspective.
In order to avoid conflicts, the management should delegate responsibility to those who know more or have better ideas. Older employees should acknowledge the competency and innovativeness of their juniors by supporting them and mentoring them.
Mutual understanding and co-operation will help:
Management should see to it that all employees, irrespective of age, are able to co-exist and co-operate with each other. Creating a friendly and open atmosphere at work can ensure such peaceful co-existence.
Though the younger employee may possess better skill sets and academic qualifications, this alone may not take care of every work hurdle. They should accept the fact that there are certain areas where only experience can help.Nevertheless, levels of hierarchy might stand in the way of developing an understanding among employees. Special workshops or projects should be designed to bring employees together. Each employee can work on a project, as part of a team. This will make them aware of the potential and also the drawbacks in each other. Informal get-togethers should be conducted to encourage employees to know each other at a personal level. This will definitely help in assessing each other's abilities.
Every employee will have a unique set of inputs that will contribute to the company's progress. The company should appreciate every genuine effort of each employee towards this end, irrespective of their age or knowledge. A fine balance should be maintained between all generations of employees, so that they can work in unison.
The young and the old should take up complementary roles for the smooth functioning of the organisation, because everyone has a common goal; that of enhancing their company's performance.
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