Exclusive interview with Dr. Jeremy Graves, Director, Boise State University

'Engaging A Multigenerational Workforce Is Not An Easy Task'

 

Do you think a multigenerational workforce will shape the workplace of the future? How can you successfully attract, hire and retain the different generations? In an exclusive interaction with HR.com, Dr. Jeremy Graves, an intergenerational culture strategist and Director of Professional and Continuing Education, Boise State University, talks about managing the multigenerational workforce today, the importance of multi-generational cross-mentoring programs, generational gaps that should be addressed and much more.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. How has the pandemic impacted different generations of employees?

Jeremy: I think it’s been interesting because it has impacted the younger generation less, believe it or not. They are used to harnessing technology, working different hours, working on projects late at night or early in the morning as they have time—versus an older generation who is used to using technology differently, both in the workplace and in their homes, and to more traditional work hours.
 
I also think the younger generation had the ability to pivot quicker because they had fewer responsibilities. They were not tied down with mortgages and other obligations. Many have relocated to places they’ve always wanted to live, moved into tiny homes, and used the pandemic to alter their lives in a way that worked for them.  

Q. How easy or difficult is it to effectively engage a multi-generational workforce, all with different priorities and expectations?

Jeremy: It’s actually extremely difficult. It’s difficult because we are human, and we all see the world differently. And because different generations see the world differently, we engage the world differently. Due to our defining moments, or those significant historical events that shape each generation, we have a tendency to approach work with different priorities and expectations. 
 

For some, the priority is money—to have the ability to take care of their families, to have the resources they need to do that. For others, the priority is time off, mental health and being able to take care of themselves in the process. For some, the priority is stability in the workplace, especially during times like we are working through now. For other folks, it’s much more about being able to pivot and to have the freedom to work two or three side hustles instead of a full-time job.
 
I think expectations are also big too. There is an older generation that looks at work as work. They believe you go to work, you do your job, you go home, you do your thing. There are also those in the workplace who expect constant feedback, and that feedback can be difficult to give, especially in a remote setting where you don’t have the ability to see what’s happening with the workforce in real-time.  

Q. Are there generational gaps that should be addressed through training, recruiting and retention?

Jeremy: There are definitely generational gaps that can be addressed through training. Some of the generational gaps are related to the younger workers coming into the workforce. I think that essential skills—I don’t even call them soft skills anymore—are those skills that are essential for interaction with others, whether they are leadership skills, communication skills, emails etiquette and so on, I think those have to be addressed when it comes to training. And recruiting is a big one right now. I think organizations are having to think differently about how they recruit and specifically about how they let people know their organization is there. For example, I recently talked to the general manager of a waterpark about hiring. He told me that he hired most of his employees in the last year from TikTok! He used TikTok as a way to recruit employees because he knows that his employees, who are mostly high school and college-aged kids, are on TikTok a lot. We have to think differently about how we recruit and how we make potential employees aware of our organizations. 
 
Retention is always a big concern. It comes down to asking the right questions around retention. You need to understand the priorities and expectations of the multiple generations in your company. It is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. If you can fulfill their diverse expectations, then you will have better success with retention. Otherwise, it will be a real struggle. 

Q. What's your take on multi-generational cross-mentoring programs, especially in today's scenario?

Jeremy: I think multi-generational cross-mentoring programs are incredibly needed in our workplaces. We know that the younger generation likes to be mentored in teams and groups. Research has shown this over and over. I have been working on a couple of different pilot programs around this concept specifically, where we use DISC behaviors and motivators to make sure that we have the right people on the team. Then we put together a multi-generational team of people, we teach them problem-solving skills, and we challenge them to solve problems within the organization. They begin to cross-mentor one another through this task using their backgrounds, their experience in the workplace, and their experience in teams, which is different for the different generations. 
 
In general, we see the younger generation mentor the older generation when it comes to things like technology and engaging the workforce a little differently. The older generation helps the younger generation with things like professionalism, what’s accepted in the workplace, what’s not accepted. These aspects can be really meaningful and helpful when you’re building a multigenerational workforce. 

Q. Do performance appraisals consider generational differences?

Jeremy: I haven’t seen a performance appraisal that does take into consideration generational differences, but I think that’s a good conversation to have. I do think with expectations and priorities being diverse among the different generations, our idea of performance appraisals and evaluations should take into account those differences. 

Q. What do you believe are some of the top workplace trends impacting the future of work?

Jeremy: I think remote work is a huge one, and it will be around for the long haul. There’s also when to use technology and when not to use technology. Although technology is great, it can also be used to silo instead of bringing people together. 

I think people are becoming more aware of essential skills like healthy conflict and communication. Trust is also a big issue in the workplace. I don’t think we spend enough time at work talking about trust. I think we don’t spend enough time developing teams and talking about team dynamics. We put people on teams and we hope that it will work out. I believe that if we would tackle some of these, we would actually see a much different workplace. 
 

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