Multigenerational Work Differences

Background

Dealing with diversity in the workplace means understanding and relating effectively with people who are different than you. The ability for a diverse group of people to build strength and unity through their diversity is the power that propels organizations into new dimensions of performance. Discussions of workplace diversity in the United States tend to start with the topics of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. Indeed, organizations that want to thrive in the future will need to have employees and managers who are aware of and skilled in dealing with differences along these identity lines.

Another piece

of diversity that is not always included in typical diversity discussions, however, is generational diversity. In any organization, you are bound to find divisions, units, or work teams where at least four distinct generations are working together. Sociologists, psychologists, and everyday managers have identified important differences between these generations in the way they approach work, work/life balance, loyalty, authority and other important issues. The profession of nursing is experiencing these differences as four generations of nurses are working side by side. This document will uncover some of the basic characteristics of the generations in today's nursing workforce and discuss the relevance of these differences to organizational performance.

A generation is a group of people defined by age boundaries- those who were born in a certain era. They share similar experiences growing up and their values and attitudes, particularly about work related topics, tend to be similar, based upon their shared experiences during their formative years. Generations are fuzzy things. The age guidelines are approximations with people at the beginning and end of these defined boundaries sharing some of the same values, beliefs and work related ideas as the generation they move away from or towards.

Nursing leaders have historically not had to deal with a multiple generation workforce. In the past, nurses have either retired or cut back their hours between the ages of 53 and 56 (Thrall, 2005), however, due to changes in life expectancy, lack of retirement benefits, lack of access to healthcare, etc. nurses are forced to stay in the profession longer. In 2003, Buerhaus, Staiger, and Aurbach noted the fastest growing segment of the RN labor market is older nurses reentering the profession. This is not a trend that is likely the change as many organizations, in the midst of the current nursing shortage, are developing flexible programs to attract the older nursing workforce.

The Generational Cohorts

The Veterans (1925-1945) are also known as the traditional generation. They grew up during the times of World War II and the Great Depression. This generation of nurses has a strong work ethic, are committed the organization in which they work, and believe respecting their "boss" and physicians is as important as the care they give (Sherman, 2006). They entered nursing to make a difference in people's lives and considered it a "calling". They took the Nightingale Pledge very serious (Kupperschmidt, 2006). They perceive the younger generations as lacking respect.

The Baby Boomers (1944-1960) challenged and changed many of the values held by their predecessors. This generation focused on bringing a sense of professionalism to nursing and saw it as a career. They grew up with their parents nudging them to be critical thinkers and independent embracing a spirit of free agency. Their strengths include being process-oriented, team, and consensus builders (Kupperschmidt, 2006).

The Generation X nurse (1961-1980) was raised in an anti-child culture with divorce and dual parent careers being the norm. They first entered the workforce during a time of recession and uncertainty in health care. They tend to believe there is no such thing as job security and that maintaining marketability is the key to success. They are good at multi-tasking, technology, and possess the ability to work well alone (Kupperschmidt, 2006).

The Net Generation/Generation Y nurse (1981-2000) is beginning to enter the nursing workforce and is enmeshed in digital technology. Many have "adopted the philosophy of moral relativism and consider truth as relative (Kupperschmidt, 2006). They may consider the field more of a Ð''job" instead of a profession or career. They value time with family, are close to their parents, and place their "job" father down on the importance scale than any other generation.

Discussion

While there is much more that could be and has been said of the various generations, we are going to turn our attention to how healthcare organizations can implement programs to meet the needs of the nursing profession and attract new nurses. According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Government Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) 66% of the organizations surveyed had not even done an age profile on their workforce (Sherman, 2006). Yet, multigenerational diversity is among us. It is important that healthcare leaders recognize and act on generational differences structuring workplace environments so as to accommodate differing generational cultures.

A generational inventory should be conducted through collaboration between human resources and nursing leadership. This inventory should explore generational mix, age profile, and generational issues. While everyone should be held to the same job responsibilities and accountabilities, there are subtle differences in how various generations respond to mentoring, coaching, communication, and conflict resolution. Embracing these differences and responding to these generational needs will help promote a culture of nursing retention.

Coaching and mentoring should be a part of any organizations performance improvement plan. Employees need direction, support