Some companies struggle to bridge generational divides between leadership and employees, which means they are not meeting the needs of heterogeneous workforces, new research finds. One pattern of disconnect is age inclusion, sparking a need for more training in a sometimes forgotten aspect of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
One notable takeaway from recent research was the prevalence of disparities in age-inclusion initiatives for older workers within DEI policies, according to a new study exploring workplace collaboration and dissonance between generational cohorts and leadership.
The study, conducted earlier this year by the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, surveyed 1,167 senior business leaders across the UK.
Thirty-one per cent of senior leaders in the UK said that an emphasis on inclusivity and diversity initiatives is important in creating a positive work culture, but only 18% include age in their DEI policies, the study said. Only 16% and 13%, respectively, have a menopause support policy or age champion schemes.
Bridging the gap goes both ways; ineffective leadership practices can equate to a lack of support for young professionals, who then fail to grow in their roles.
According to a report from consulting firm Protiviti and the London School of Economics, younger employees, encompassing Generation Z and Millennial demographics, are more likely to self-report low productivity at work.
The report, published in January, analysed data from more than 1,450 employees in finance, technology, and professional services in the UK and US.
Age gaps are creating tensions at work and forming barriers to learning and development for younger employees, according to the data.
“The greater the age gap between an employee and their older manager, the lower their job productivity and job satisfaction,” the report said. “Employees with managers more than 12 years their senior are nearly 1.5 times as likely to report low productivity and nearly three times as likely to report being extremely dissatisfied with their job.”
Employees who work at organisations where they feel supported, developed, and have opportunities to advance in their career regardless of age are twice as likely to be satisfied with their job, the report said, and 1.5 times less likely to look for another job.
Poor training is contributing to a communication gap between workforces and leadership — senior leaders are not investing in sufficient training for managers, the Lancaster report found.
While 45% of leaders said that “clear communication and transparency from leadership is important”, only 21% have line management training specifically designed to support managers to lead in multigenerational workplaces.
Employees need effective leadership to become productive and fulfilled in their roles. According to Protiviti’s report, the percentage of employees that self-report low productivity drops from 25% to 13% in organisations that make it easy for each generation to “fit in” and to be promoted based on merit.
Better practice across multigenerational management can lead to more knowledge sharing and skills transfer, which is good for the employees and their organisations. When each age cohort can contribute unique ideas, this can lead to a more dynamic and creative workplace, the Lancaster report said.
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.Brown@aicpa-cima.com.
