It’s not unusual for entry-level I Love Rewards Inc. employees to be teamed up with older, more seasoned executives. And when this demographic mix occurs, says the Toronto company’s chief executive officer, Razor Suleman, the one consistent rule is this: democracy rules.
“The junior employees don’t just get things pushed down on them,” says Mr. Suleman, whose company provides employee recognition programs for businesses. “Instead, they have open dialogues with the senior executives, who ask them what they think and don’t tell them, ‘This is what you should do.’”
With a company that’s home to three generations of workers – baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y, also known as millennials – Mr. Suleman figures the best way to bridge the demographic divide at I Love Rewards is by adopting a culture in which everyone has a say and even the most junior employees get a chance to work closely with high-ranking managers.
So while Gen Y-ers typically occupy the most junior roles at I Love Rewards, they’re often involved in important projects. To ensure these young employees don't get steamrolled by older, more established workers, I Love Rewards puts great emphasis on its identity as a democratic company, with signs in its office reinforcing this message. Mr. Suleman says the company is also careful to hire people comfortable in flat organizations.
“Unlike baby boomers, who, in general, believe in hierarchical, command-and-control workplace management, millennials tend to view everyone in the office as equal,” says Mr. Suleman, who is 37. “Companies that want to engage this group need to adjust their management style.”
I Love Rewards isn't the only company tweaking its management approach to suit a multi-generational work force. Today, in what human resources experts say is a historical first, as many as four generations of Canadians – including so called “veterans” older than 65 – work side by side in companies across the country.
This demographic mix makes for richly diverse workplaces, experts say, with each generation bringing a distinguishing set of strengths. But it also creates challenges for employers who must strike a happy balance between workers who are often separated by differences in values, communication styles and attitudes.
“Having such a diverse work force is great, because it offers employees opportunities to learn from people with different experiences and skills. For example, we’ve seen baby boomers learning social networking from the millennials,” says Cissy Pau, a principal consultant at Clear HR Consulting Inc. in Vancouver.
Employers who get it right are rewarded with a productive work force, experts say. But what happens to those who get it wrong?
“You essentially become an ineffective organization,” says Robert Wendover, director of the Center for Generational Studies in Littleton, Colo. “This is an issue employers can't afford to ignore.”
So what’s the best way for employers to meet the challenges?
The first step is understanding what motivates each group, says Emree Siaroff, managing director of human capital at BDO Canada LLP, a national accounting and advisory firm based in Toronto. BDO does this in part through regular employee surveys.
The surveys have confirmed that boomers are more interested in retirement savings, says Mr. Siaroff. “But we've also learned that the top motivational drivers for our employees are consistently similar across the generations: They all want to work for a company that effectively manages their performance, recognizes their needs, thanks them for their accomplishments and provides them with advancement opportunities.”
Every generation has its own preferred medium for communication. To make sure the company gets its messages across to all employees, BDO communicates through multiple channels, including e-mail, intranet, Facebook and blogging. For important announcements, senior managers make a point of travelling to BDO’s offices across Canada. “For a recent announcement, we posted hard copy flyers too, because some people like to see things in print,” says Mr. Siaroff.
