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Can Different
Generations Work Together?
08
Recently, there has been a lot of publicity about the different “genera- tions” (i.e., people born in different eras) that work in business organi- zations. It is commonly assumed that these generations differ in a lot of areas, and that these differences complicate working relationships in
business firms. The conclusion is then made that human resource managers must cater to the various character- istics and demands of three different generations: Baby Boomers (who were born in the “baby boom” of 1946–
1964 in the U.S. and 1947–1966 in Canada), GenXers
LO
AFTER READING THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:LO-1 Define human resource management, discuss its strategic significance, and explain how managers plan for human resources.
LO-2 Identify the issues involved in staffing a company, including internal and external recruiting and selection.
LO-3 Discuss different ways in which organizations go about developing the capabilities of employees and managers.
LO-4 Discuss the importance of wages and salaries, incentives, and benefit programs in attracting and keeping skilled workers.
LO-5 Describe some of the key legal issues involved in hiring, compensating, and managing workers in today’s workplace.
LO-6 Discuss workforce diversity, the management of knowledge workers, and the use of contingent and temporary workers as important changes in the contemporary workplace.
LO-7 Trace the evolution of, and discuss trends in, unionism in Canada.
LO-8 Describe the major laws governing unionism.
LO-9 Identify the steps in the collective bargaining process.
(born between 1965 and 1980), and Millennials (born between 1980 and 1999).
Various characteristics (real or imagined) are attributed to members of these three groups. Baby Boomers, for example, are the oldest group in the workforce, and are now
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Labour Relations
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beginning to retire. They are often in senior management positions, and therefore manage and inter- act with younger generations of employees of lower rank. GenXers are in the middle of their careers, and some studies show that they are the least happy about their situation. They feel stuck between the Baby Boomers (who have more authority) and the Millennials (who get too much attention).
Millennials, the most recent generation to join the workforce, have been portrayed by some as disloyal, lazy, uninterested in their work, and too interested in pay and perks. Millennials want to work differently (perhaps remotely) and have more flexibility than workers have traditionally had. They also expect employers to accommodate their lives, and when employers don’t they may well look for an employer who will.
While each of the three age groups has been criticized, the fact is that each group has certain realities it has had to deal with, and that have influenced their attitudes and behaviour.
Baby Boomers, for example, are often criticized for not leaving the workforce at the “normal” retirement age and thereby caus- ing problems for GenXers, who therefore can’t move up in the management hierarchy. But one reason Baby Boomers resist retirement is they feel they cannot afford to retire. Millennials are often criticized for their tendency to put their personal pref- erences ahead of work. But many Millennials are in a shaky financial situation that demands attention. Some of the oldest Millennials (who were in their early 30s in 2015) are still living with their parents, because they cannot afford to be on their own. The 2014 Yconic/Abacus Data Survey of 1538 Canadian Millennials generated the following interesting findings:
Ţ 43 percent of those aged 30–33 felt they had not achieved financial independence from their parents (18 percent of this age group still lived at home).
Ţ 37 percent of all respondents said their parents had paid off their student loans.
Ţ 17 percent of those aged 30–33 said their parents helped pay their bills.
Ţ 25 percent of all respondents said their parents had helped with a down payment on a home they had purchased.
Jennifer Deal, a researcher at the San Diego Center for Creative Leadership, says there are several misconcep- tions about Millennials. First, they supposedly don’t want to be told what to do; but in a study of 5000 respondents, Deal found them more willing to defer to authority than either Baby Boomers or GenXers.
Second, Millennials supposedly lack organizational loyalty; Deal’s study found that they had about the same level of loyalty to their organization as other groups. Third, Millennials supposedly aren’t interested in their work; the study found that Millennials had about the same level of interest in their work as Baby Boomers and GenXers. Fourth, Millennials supposedly are motivated by perks and high pay; Deal’s study found no relationship between a person’s age and the extent to which they were motivated by perks and high pay. Deal argues that these misconceptions cause human resource managers and other corporate leaders to unnecessarily bend over back- wards to please them.
Other human resource experts also support the notion that the difference between the generations is overblown,
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Effectively managing human resources is critical to the success of organizations. A firm that handles this activity well has a better chance for success than a firm that simply goes through the motions. After read- ing the material in this chapter, you’ll be better able to understand—from the perspective of a manager—the importance of properly managing human resources in a department or business you own or supervise.
You’ll also understand—from the perspective of an employee—why your employer has adopted certain approaches to dealing with issues like hiring, training, compensation, and benefits.
HOW WILL THIS HELP ME?
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