While Gen Z loves to make fun of Karens, and Boomers often dismiss the work ethic (or lack thereof) of their snowflake colleagues, workers need to coexist harmoniously, whatever cohort they belong to in order to be successful.
According to a workplace trends report, 89 per cent of talent professionals believe a multigenerational workforce makes an organisation more successful.
And if embraced the right way, intergenerational relationships can add to everyone’s career—both young and old.
A separate study by Women Ahead found that 84 per cent of those in mentoring relationships found them to be mutually beneficial, allowing more junior members of staff to get insights into more senior positions and management styles, while also facilitating an understanding of the challenges younger employees face among those in more senior positions.
It also showed that mentoring made 87 per cent of mentors and mentees feel more empowered, and 82 per cent reported better connection.
This is particularly important in light of the advent of hybrid or remote work—a recent study from the UK’s University of Nottingham found that younger workers are at risk of being left behind as a consequence of not getting enough face time with more senior or experienced members of staff.
Additionally, many managers have an unconscious bias towards those who spend most of their working week at home. Known as proximity bias, 95 per cent of executives admit to being more aware of the contributions of those working in the office compared to those working from home.
There’s also a disparity in attitudes to hybrid work among different generations. A report by Unispace found that workers in the UK spend the least amount of time in the office each week compared to other countries, despite younger workers aged 18-34 being the least reluctant to return to the office full-time.
This correlates with separate data which found that 49 per cent of millennials would prefer to work fully remote, compared to just 27 per cent of Gen Zers.
The key point to note is that intergenerational relationships in the workplace don’t have to be rooted in friendship (that’s what your work wife is for), and mutual respect and support are the cornerstones of any good working relationship.
However, if you feel like you don’t have either in your current role, it could be time to look for a new opportunity.
If that is the case, The London Economic Job Board is the perfect place to start your search. It features thousands of openings in companies that are actively hiring, like the three below.
As a Barclays Market Risk Manager, you will have key accountability for being aware of all the significant market risk positions for the equity derivatives and for performing quantitative and qualitative analysis of all material positions and risks. Reporting these findings to both group market risk management and business, this role will focus on EMEA equities derivative business and supporting a regulatory deliverable. As such you will analyse risk on the desks and put it into context of what’s going on in the market and report findings to senior management and recommend approval/rejections for new trades, trade types and risks. View additional details here.
As a Risks & Control Manager, you will use your passion for risk and control to support the product space, helping the team to stay in control as they build and ship at pace. You will report to the Senior Risk & Control Manager for core and growth, and support them managing risk across a range of products from current account, business banking and subscriptions (including insurance). Day-to-day you will use your risk management knowledge to support developing robust controls that meet customer and business needs now and in the future and lead risk assessments. See the full job description here.
Enterprise Insights is a newly formed business unit of 40-plus people within Improbable, and it is seeking an experienced and results-driven Business Development Manager to join the team and drive sales of digital twin solutions within the supply chain market. In this role you will be responsible for identifying new business opportunities, establishing relationships with key stakeholders, and strategically positioning its digital twin offerings to meet the needs of the supply chain industry. Your goal will be to expand Improbable’s customer base, increase revenue, and drive the adoption of digital twin technology within the supply chain market. Get more information here.
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