Working with different generations: Exploring some misconceptions about age in the workforce

More recently, this trend has taken up an increased focus on understanding the five generations that comprise our current workforce, including traditionalists (born 1922–1945), baby boomers (1946–1964), Generation X (1965–1980), millennials (1981–1996), and Generation Z (1997–2012). Recent studies in this area typically include some form of data collection from each group followed by a summary of common character traits about each of them, like shared values, ideal work environments or preferred working styles. And while I’ve read multiple articles on our multi-generational workforce, the same question always repeats in my head when I’m done: how does this actually play out in real life?

As an older millennial roughly 20 years into my career, with 20 years to go, I thought it might be valuable to share some of the misconceptions I’ve held when working with employees from different generations and how these mistakes made me reconsider my assumptions, regardless of what the current data might tell us.

Misconception: You have to work harder to earn the respect of older employees

I first started managing a team when I was 27 years old. While I was excited for the opportunity, I immediately dreaded the thought of managing employees who were older than me. My assumption was that these employees would assume I was unqualified for the position and balk at the idea of being delegated work by someone who was the same age as some of their children. As a result, I spent the initial weeks and months of my time as a new manager overthinking every action I took.

One of these actions was to avoid delegating administrative tasks to my older employees, as I felt it could be misinterpreted as condescending (regardless of their job title and responsibilities). I didn’t reconsider my approach until one of my employees, working in a coordinator role, asked me why I didn’t ask her to take meeting notes or make photocopies (yes, we made photocopies at that time). I didn’t really have an answer for her, and she followed up by asking if I didn’t trust her to do her job. It was in that moment then I learned my first lesson – don’t assume that someone’s age impacts how they view their manager. By focusing on my employees’ roles, and less on their ages, I was able to build a more productive working relationship and earn their respect and trust in a far more genuine way.

Misconception: Your mentors need to be older than you

Until I entered the workforce, all of the mentors in my life were older than me. This included my teachers, coaches and, of course, my parents. I always understood the mentor–mentee relationship to be built on experience, and I instinctively associated experience with age. However, after some time spent in the workforce, I realized that age and years of experience are two completely different things. Earlier in my career, I exclusively looked for advice from those older than me and often overlooked colleagues who were my age or younger. In doing so, I missed out on a lot of learning opportunities along the way.

In today’s workforce, most of us will change roles, or even careers, multiple times. As I’ve started pursuing continuing education to earn my Certified Human Resources Professional certification and shift to a career in human resources, I’ve found a wealth of support and guidance from professionals who are younger than me but have many more years of experience. This lesson has not only allowed me to gain a better perspective of the experiences of those in the field where I want to work, but it has also allowed me to stop limiting my mentorship opportunities and expand my network. Let’s also not forget that younger employees seemingly understand and interact with technology at a pace that would make Bill Gates envious, and that isn’t an asset you want to miss out on the next time a new digital tool is rolled out in your workplace.

Misconception: A good manager can meet the needs of each of their employees

While understanding common traits across generations is helpful, taking this information at face value does not necessarily put you in the best position to manage employees. While it’s always good to consider the needs of others you’re working with, you can’t eliminate yourself from the equation. I had assumed in the past that a good manager adapts their style to match that of their employees, and I didn’t think about how my own preferences fit into the convers ation. As a result, I often spent time communicating the same information to my team members in different ways and meeting with each employee in a format that prioritized their needs (and sometimes ignored my own), and I avoided implementing templated work plans, budget tools and meeting agendas across my team. In doing so, I made each of their work days a little bit easier while making my own much more complicated. In the end, I found that while each of us has our own work traits, some of which may be influenced by when we were born, there is typically going to be value in finding a happy medium. At the end of the day, the work needs to get done, and you can’t be an effective manager if you aren’t able to communicate, delegate and monitor the progress of your team both individually and as a whole.

Studies of different generations in the workforce are bound to continue, especially as we see a greater need to build inclusive and supportive environments. While I would never discount these studies as a reference tool for better understanding the members of your team, it should be understood that there are always going to be exceptions to the rule, and some generalizations can actually impact your own work in a negative way. So, the next time you catch yourself assuming that your Gen Z employee is planning their next career move or your baby boomer colleague is stuck in their ways of working, try to challenge these assumptions and learn a little bit more about each of them beyond the birthdate on their driver’s license. Only then can you truly benefit from each person’s unique perspective, regardless of when they happened to enter this world.

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