The future of work is here, and leaders must embrace the opportunities presented by shifting demographics and new employment models.
Leaders and managers must see each employee as an individual rather than make generalizations based on people's age and stage. Most differences between employees are driven by their unique personality, not their generation. To build strong relationships, each person must be managed based on individual strengths and weaknesses.
Younger employees want to hit the ground running, but the transition from school to work can be challenging. To mitigate this struggle, firms can explicitly teach these employees about the norms of the working world, provide mentors, and encourage young people to put in the effort to master the transition.
Older workers are in better health than ever and stay in the workplace longer, yet they feel increasingly less relevant at work and worry that their experience is seen as more of a liability than an asset. There is an opportunity to connect these workers with younger employees so they can teach and coach them, using their wisdom, experience, and specialized knowledge, to create businesses that will endure.
