A key challenge will exist around creating approaches to engagement that are perceived as equitable across generations. Remote working – Younger generation managers are more likely to embrace remote working, both for their employees and their staff. Three-quarters of millennial and Gen Z managers have team members who work a significant portion of their time remotely, versus 58 percent of baby boomers. Another trait that many Millennial workers share is a desire for a higher purpose in their working lives.
Use Technology to Deliver a Cohesive Message
At an early age, baby boomers grew up as TV expanded, Gen Xers were part of the computer revolution and millennials witnessed the early development of the internet. Gen Zers, meanwhile, had access to technologies and social media during their early years and are generally quite tech savvy. As a Millennial myself, I can tell you—how we learn, engage, and show up at work is different from the generations before us.
- With this mix in the workforce, a one-size-fits-all approach to safety just doesn’t cut it anymore.
- She said that her friends and colleagues often check in with each other during lunch breaks.
- The workplace has undergone significant change over the past few years, with millennials taking the reins.
- So, I suggest partnering a task with a solution that creates Automation and Digitalization for work is your ‘go-to”.
- Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are among the most technologically advanced and socially conscious generations.
Bridging the Age Gap: Multigenerational Workforce Safety
This is a generation shaped by rapid technological change, social media proliferation and an acute awareness of global challenges like climate change and inequality. For them, work isn’t just about earning a paycheck—it’s about aligning themselves to employers who prioritize social and environmental responsibility and making a positive impact on society. As global organizations struggle to attract and retain millennial talent, it is wise to investigate the statistics. Doing so proves that their values are, on the whole, different from those of the generations that came before them. Communicating with individuals from multiple generations is bound to bring about certain stereotypes about the way each generation works, speaks, thinks, etc. Many of these stereotypes involve the influx of millennials in the workforce.
Safety and the multigenerational workforce
The workplace demographic is already shifting – rather quickly at that – and it’s in every manager’s best interest to understand what this means. “There have been times when I’m trying to communicate that expectation when there are team members above the age of 55 and they’ve been in the industry forever,” she said. Womack occasionally encounters workers who won’t wear safety glasses, for example. Another benefit of feedback is constant advancement of training materials and techniques.
While some older workers who have been working behind a desk for 25 years might scoff at the notion of “safety training,” in today’s world you simply cannot afford to ignore the risks. Use this new energy and commitment to your advantage, stay updated on trends in the field, and develop a culture of safety that works for everyone. Employers that wish to engage millennials and Gen Zers need to show them how they can make a difference in their present roles.
They believe that it is their responsibility to ensure that their colleagues are safe, and they are willing to put in the time and effort to make this a reality. This only works, however, when the employees being trained can make mistakes and ask questions without suffering negative consequences. One group learns as the other shares the valuable knowledge they gained through the years. The end result is the next generation of workers coming up to speed on workplace safety. Many Gen Zers had their earliest job experiences during the pandemic and as political tensions reached a boiling point. Entering a digital, rather than physical, workplace only created additional uncertainties and induced greater stress.
Provide On-the-Job Training to Generate Camaraderie and Community
- Promoting worker safety by using social media, videos, or other digital tools will help millennial job candidates know your workplace is safe.
- Generational traits offer a helpful framework, but they’re broad generalizations—each individual brings their own unique experiences, values, and perspectives that defy a one-size-fits-all mold.
- Gen-Z employees are bringing an entirely new perspective on workplace violence and harassment—and with it, a new expectation for safety.
- Regular surveys, open forums and transparent communication channels help ensure that safety measures stay aligned with what employees actually need.
As attention spans rapidly shorten, an uninterrupted slideshow turns viewers into a roomful of zombies within five minutes. As a result, some organizations have targeted new employee training when cutting costs. Employers that play this game for too long inevitably see more workplace injuries and drops in productivity. Managers and supervisors need to understand younger workers’ predilection for safety. Asking a millennial or Gen Zer to perform a seemingly risky task without proper training and equipment can erode trust and make them consider new employment options.
This software allows for the tracking of safety incidents, identification of areas for improvement, and development of customized safety protocols. This software helps to keep everyone in the workplace informed and engaged in the safety process. This drive to promote workplace safety is also reflected in the way that millennials approach their careers. Many millennials are looking for careers that align with their values and that allow them to make a positive impact on the world.
Diverse teams can leverage their unique perspectives to develop innovative safety solutions. We’re not just witnessing a generational shift in the workforce—we’re living it. If we want to engage today’s workforce (and tomorrow’s), safety training has to look and feel like something we’d willingly open on our phones. Our generations are open to coaching and feedback—but only if it’s delivered in the right way. If we want to keep them safe—and help them build strong safety habits—we need to rethink our approach to training.
For example, data from one company in the study, where intrinsic motivation was a key engagement driver, suggested that 11 percent more boomers get a sense of accomplishment from their work than millennials. Increasing the statistic for millennials would offer increases in overall engagement for millennials. In the same company, there was only a difference of 3 percent across generations relating to People / HR Practices (“Our people / HR practices create a positive work environment for me”).
It’s still rare for companies to operate this way, and the obstacles are bigger than any one company’s H.R. Some older employees may think new hires should suffer the way they did, and employers benefit from having always-on workers. Even those that are offering more flexibility might be doing it because unemployment is so low and they’re competing for workers, which could change if there is an economic downturn. Planning ahead – Younger generation managers are more likely than their elders to consider future workforce planning a top priority. Indeed, they are nearly two times more likely than baby boomers to have made progress in developing a flexible talent strategy as well as in investing in technology to support a remote workforce. Promoting worker safety by using social media, videos, or other digital tools will help millennial job candidates know your workplace is safe.
You may have learned in grade school about the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, which claimed the lives of millennials and workplace safety 146 garment factory workers in New York City in 1911. In less than a decade, the workforce demographic will have undergone a dramatic shift. Millennials are on the rise, and their leadership will either be them, or will have to understand how to motivate, train, and manage them.
Fostering Collaboration Across Generations
In pushing these findings further and into practice, employers should adopt the belief that to sustain prolonged engagement, they must understand carefully manage the engagement drivers and threats. Millennials also want to connect their specific skills and interests to a company’s larger vision. Employers can encourage greater engagement from Millennial workers by helping them craft roles that truly reflect their talents. Since they can be somewhat skeptical of capitalism, they want to work for companies that contribute to their communities. Whether it’s through profit sharing, volunteerism, or sponsorship, employers must brainstorm ways they can support organizations around them to attract and retain a committed younger workforce.
What’s more, younger workers take more of a personal role in protecting their own safety at work. They will proactively seek out policies and procedures because they have become accustomed to finding everything from how to bake a potato to how to get a job online. They expect there to be an outlined way to approach each task at work, and this can be a huge benefit for jobs requiring strict adherence to safety protocols. Since job-hopping looks likely to continue, organizations need to adjust their approaches to reducing injury risks for short-tenure employees. Workplace safety will also improve when employers create and maintain cultures that make people want to stay.