Closing the intergenerational gap in the corporate world is an uphill climb for many business leaders as they try to strike a delicate balance between the needs of employees and the needs of the business. Right now, with fewer younger workers entering the labor market, the stakes are even higher to build a reliable, collaborative, and efficient workforce.
Creating a culture where different generations work together and democratically learn from one another comes with significant benefits. According to the Harvard Business Review, retaining older workers increases the diversity of organizations and can improve operational efficiency, enhance innovation, and grow the bottom line. One Gartner study found that a highly inclusive environment can improve team performance by up to 30 percent, and a McKinsey study suggested that companies with the most diversity outperform those with the least by 36 percent in profitability.
The skilled trades are one sector that has set a positive example for bridging the widening intergenerational gap. Here, employees are known to collaborate not only across generations but also across departments and skill sets to share knowledge and expertise symbiotically. This open exchange of information helps both younger and older workers develop expertise and grow professionally.
Consider these tips from the skilled trades model for leaders looking to foster higher levels of intergenerational collaboration in their workplaces.
Create opportunities for observational learning and apprenticeship
The importance of fostering opportunities for learning by example cannot be overstated. In the skilled trades, it’s common to see older workers who have worked there for decades, often watching a grandparent or other relative do the same job they’re doing now. As these older, seasoned workers get closer to retirement, they may not be able to complete the physical work they were once able to do. Whether getting up on a roof to repair or replace shingles or carrying heavy windows for installation, older workers increasingly need to rely on younger workers for assistance while imparting critical knowledge.
Our company encourages younger workers to shadow veteran employees and apprentice with them to learn how to do the actual work. After all, as younger workers develop, they need close supervision to become skilled in their particular trade. This extends to soft skills as well. When younger employees can observe how seasoned employees, for instance, build authentic relationships or navigate different personalities, they can pick up tips to refine to fit their style. This dynamic creates an environment where older workers’ contributions are appreciated and seen as critical to the team’s success.
Make space for mentorship
In addition to learning by observing, formal mentorship programs are highly beneficial. A study by Sun Microsystems found that 25 percent of mentees experienced an increase in their salary and are promoted five times more often than those not involved in mentoring. Pairing younger employees with more experienced professionals can be integral in transferring knowledge and building stronger relationships. In doing so, leaders should think carefully about their pairings to help increase the likelihood of success.
For example, we paired one of our more seasoned customer service managers with a 19-year-old employee to help her hone her presentation skills and her ability to connect with teammates and customers alike. Recently, this young worker delivered an extremely memorable presentation to a team of 25+ people that showcased just how much she’d learned from her mentor.
Incorporating similar models into other industries can have significant benefits. By establishing formal mentorship programs and encouraging cross-generational collaboration, organizations can ensure that valuable institutional knowledge is preserved and that younger workers are better prepared to take on future challenges.
Make learning a two-way street
It is essential to create opportunities for employees from different generations to openly share their experiences and viewpoints, whether through formal training sessions or just getting different generations together in the same room. Interestingly, we have found that it’s not just older workers teaching younger workers. This two-way learning allows insights and tips to be shared in both directions.
The opportunities for senior employees to gain awareness from junior employees can provide powerful experiential learning, especially regarding technological advances. Younger workers are becoming increasingly adept at sharing their tech savvy, showing older workers how to leverage social media, set up their calendars online, utilize digital systems, and more, which can enhance productivity and efficiency.
Continuous learning must be an everyday pursuit for workers of all ages, skills, and abilities. When you encourage your employees to embrace learning from each other honestly, these relationships can open minds and communication channels, increase comfort levels with technology, and build more inclusive networks.
Let people set the tone
Finally, tailor your leadership style to each employee’s personality, skills, and needs. You already know that each generation of employees works in its own unique way, so why would the same approach be effective for everyone? Put generational stereotypes aside to really focus on the individual employee and what makes them tick. When you do this effectively, your employees will feel seen, heard, and understood.
In my experience, the skilled trades offer a wealth of valuable lessons for bridging the intergenerational workforce gap through both formal and informal training and programs and building a culture that supports learning and development. Adopting these kinds of strategies in other industries can help create a more cohesive, innovative, and productive workforce for the future.
