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Bridging Generation Gaps
in Today’s Workplace
M
Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion
Most organizations know that, for the first time in
history, we have four generations in the U.S. workforce, which
means you might see everyone from 20-something Millennials to
Generation Xers, Baby Boomers and seasoned Veterans working
side-by-side.
This can be a great advantage that puts companies in a stron-
ger position to succeed in today’s multi-generational marketplace.
But generation gaps may also be a hindrance, interfering with
cooperation in the workplace and creating disconnects between
workers and customers.
It’s our job as diversity professionals to help companies create an
environment in which all generations can work as a team, despite
differences. At the same time, we must prepare employees to be
attuned to generational differences they are likely to encounter in
serving customers.
It’s important to look at generational diversity from a broad
perspective. For example, your company should have:
• Recruitment strategies that reach out to different age groups
so you can increase generational diversity in your workplace,
supporting increased productivity due to the expanded
knowledge and skill set of your workforce.
• Training programs that promote better understanding and
teamwork among employees of different generations—and
prepare employees to meet the expectations of customers of
all ages.
• Marketing strategies that respond to the needs of customers
at different stages of life.
A Clash of Cultures
When generational differences are not addressed, the result
may lead to problems that impact productivity and profitability.
I saw this occur when I was working at a financial services firm
a few years back, and Human Resources leadership asked me to
help resolve a crisis. The company had been receiving complaints
about poor customer service and had terminated a number of cus-
tomer service representatives. Something had to be done quickly to
prevent further attrition among employees—and customers.
The company, which did most of its sales by phone, had
assembled a young customer service team. Although these
Millennials had strong sales skills, they hadn’t received any training
to help them understand the nuances of serving the large number
of Baby Boomers and Veterans in their clientele.
By Tisa Jackson
Union Bank, N.A.
Feeling the pressure to
meet their sales targets, some
employees had become so
frustrated by the number of
questions they were receiving
from customers that they had
reacted in the worst possible way: by hanging up on them. Often,
they would refer customers to the company’s Web site for more
information, following protocol, rather than invest the time need-
ed to provide answers that would give customers peace of mind.
The customer service representatives didn’t understand that
these customers were accustomed to having personal relationships
with their bankers, and wary of doing business with someone they
didn’t know. Nor did they realize that many of them were not com-
fortable with the Internet or online banking.
Finding Solutions
We addressed this crisis in several ways. Our immediate
priority was to provide training to help employees understand
and appreciate differences between generations so they would be
better equipped to meet the expectations of the mature market.
The company also implemented changes in recruiting practices
to increase the age diversity of the customer service staff, and
the service delivery model was reexamined to ensure that mature
customers would receive more personal attention.
As is often the case, this company didn’t take action until a
problem arose. Diversity professionals should take the lead in
helping companies become more proactive so generational clashes
can be prevented. But we should go beyond trying to prevent
conflict and develop initiatives that enable companies to capture the
benefits of having the diverse skill sets, experience and perspectives
different generations bring to the workplace. PDJ
Tisa Jackson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for Union Bank, N.A., has
more than 13 years of experience in this field, as well as strategic human resources
management, community development and organizational development. She is
founder of the Professional & Technical Diversity Network (PTDN) of Greater Los
Angeles, a diversity consortium comprised of companies committed to diversity and
inclusion. Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of
financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major
corporations. The bank has 337 banking offices in California, Oregon, Washington and
Texas and two international offices. Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi
UFJ Financial Group (MUFG, NYSE:MTU), one of the world’s largest financial
organizations. Visit www.unionbank.com for more information.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l March/April 2010 59