No matter where you come from, the division between the generations seems to be growing. What can plumbers do to stop this gulf from widening?

From an employer’s perspective, the ambitious, technology-savvy, individualistic and head-strong ‘Generation Y’ (born 1980 – 1994) can be intimidating. However, they are likely to be the future of your business, so a well-rounded understanding of their characteristics can help break down the communication barriers and maximise your collaboration.

Often, for ‘Baby Boomers’ (born 1946 – 1964) and ‘Generation Xs’ (born 1965-1979), dealing with the youth of today can throw up a number of problems because of the contrasting values that the different generations have. For example, the older generations tend to hold loyalty, stability and financial reward as the highest of their ideals when it comes to the workplace, whereas Gen Y often rank their lifestyle as a higher priority than their career, seeking a favourable work/life balance. They believe that money is not necessarily the be all and end all of job satisfaction.

With such different mindsets, it’s not surprising that intergenerational working relationships can be a challenge. That is why Youth Connect, a not-for-profit, community focused organisation was hatched. By providing young people with skills, the team aims to support Gen Y in their journey from education to employment, and through forging relationships with members of various industries, the organisation helps employers attract and retain young employees.

Youth Connect chief executive Danny Schwarz says that through mutual understanding and better communication, any differences between the generations will disband.

“I think the key to better intergenerational work relationships centres around each generation being able to learn a bit about each other,” he says.

“For example, a lot of workplaces wouldn’t accept a younger person texting them to let them know they’re going to be late, they would expect them to call. For Gen Y, texting is just part of the air they breathe, the reason they communicate through messages is because that’s how they communicate with everyone – they don’t always necessarily differentiate between generations, and neither do the older generations. That’s often where the challenge arises.

Danny notes that in a plumbing environment, many superiors have completed their trade differently to the modern schooling system, and because of this, they are bound to have an alternative view on how that should continue.

“Gen Y has been educated differently so don’t have the same views. That is not their fault; it is just that the world they have been brought up in is just so different to the world of 20-30 years ago,” he says.

So if the youth of today prioritises their lifestyle over their career, there is inevitably going to be a difficulty providing them with a job prospect that entices them. Danny says that the key is to offer them an opportunity and not just a ‘job’.

“Nowadays the younger generation spend a wealth of time online, so that’s where you’re going to attract them to your company. Try place your ads on online career sites, not in the newspaper.

“When Gen Y is looking for a career, they’re looking for the whole package. It’s no longer just a way of earning money, it has to fit in with their lifestyle and agree with their values. Most importantly, there needs to be room for progression – a way of somebody starting a role and moving into a different one in the future.”

It’s no secret that Gen Y is harder to attract than previous generations; however it can be just as hard to retain them once you
have them under your wing.

Many Baby Boomers might have had one career and a couple of employers through their working life, staying in the same role for a long time, whereas today, the younger generation is likely to have on average up to 29 different jobs in their life, with several complete career shifts along the way.

“What employers need to understand is that when a young person leaves, they are not necessarily leaving because they don’t have company loyalty, but because they have exhausted the job and there is no reason for them to stay,” Danny says.

“Generation Y is very much ‘Generation Me’ – you need to make sure that there is always a reason for an employee to be at work beyond just the money.”

With this shift in mentality – from positive traits such as loyalty and stability to more individual demands, you’d be forgiven for saying that this is a negative change. However, Danny argues that this is not necessarily the case – the key is adjusting your employment structure to deal with the new “ways of the world”.

“Some would argue that it’s detrimental to businesses because there is a higher attrition rate, it’s hard to keep employees and it’s more expensive for companies to keep on attracting and training people, but you need to re-frame the roles in your business so that as people leave and join, the impact of that change is not as significant as it previously was. Make sure you are ready for people to move around your organisation rather than assigning them to a set role forever.”

As we know, technology is changing at a phenomenal pace these days and it’s hard to keep up. Danny thinks this is having a knock on effect into how society now works.

“When the radio was invented, it took 38 years for there to be 50 million listeners. Facebook signed up 100 million people in nine months. The way that Gen Y and Gen Z are living is so vastly different to the world of Generation X or the Baby Boomers. The way the modern world is connected now, it’s almost impossible for the generations to keep up.”

There are inevitably always going to be challenges when different age groups mix, there always has been. And at the rate society is currently transforming, we may see that become more drastic in the coming years, but by adopting a mutual respect, and striking a balance onsite that works for both parties, intergenerational working can become a breeze.