As individuals remain longer in the workforce, you may find yourself managing employees from a wider range of age groups at the workplace. Moreover, Singapore’s multi-racial society adds another dimension of diversity, as different races, religions, and value systems can affect how your employees relate to each other. In order for your company to succeed, employees, regardless of their generational differences, must be able to work well together.

Here are some tips on managing a multi-generational workforce:

Identify any age stereotypes that your organisation may have

Age does not define someone’s ability to perform a task. Some people may think that a mature employee is unable to perform as well as a younger colleague at a job. But the mature employee’s experience, skills and higher likelihood of continuity may mean that he or she is just as good, if not better.

Encourage multi-generational teams

Often, colleagues tend to cluster according to age. If you diversify teams and encourage people to welcome new ideas, employees can bring fresh perspectives to a project. One way is to assign employees to teams based on their development needs, skills, abilities, and work style preferences. To minimise the potential for conflict, stress the importance of maintaining an open mind, and of welcoming different ideas and strategies.

Encourage mentoring

Spearhead a programme where older and more experienced employees have opportunities to mentor and guide their younger colleagues. This way, one generation can pass institutional knowledge on to the next. Younger employees can also share their new skills with their older colleagues.

Have suitable ways of communication

Use a range of communication methods which are inclusive, and avoid those which may make some groups feel excluded.

Provide multiple rewards, benefits and options for compensation

Recognise that people from a mix of generations have different needs and preferences, so design your human resource strategies accordingly. Find out the unique needs of your employees, in order to provide the best resources. 

Have training on multi-generational issues

Training programmes can help managers better understand how to better manage a multi-generational workplace. Such training should equip them with skills to:

• Better understand differences between each generation.
• Identify unique strengths and values of each generation to complement one another.
• Learn about the preferred work values and work styles of each employee.
• Adopt a management style that fits each team member and their work environment.

This will help them become leaders that all employees, regardless of their age, want to work for.