Pacific Aviation

Fern Santos

Working in Human Resources is a challenging environment, and getting the right group of people together to run the department is no small feat. Leaders not only look for knowledge and experience but also need to consider behavioral characteristics and personality traits to ensure the team will get along well. To add to that challenge, you’ll likely already have a team in place that may have a considerable generational gap. So, what does one do to make it work and, more importantly, how do you make it work successfully so that your team operates optimally and in unison?

Through years of working in various industries and fields, many of us have had the opportunity to work on teams comprising different generations, cultures and more. While one might think this would be a tricky mix, it’s not always daunting. Whether you’re a leader who has had the privilege of building your team from the ground up or inherited a team comprising varying generations, you have the vital responsibility to build or enhance a team that will function at its best and work in harmony.

First, evaluating the team to see how well its members work together is key. There can be a host of reasons why a team may or may not be working well as a unit, and sometimes, it may be due to a generational gap. If you have a team in which this isn’t an issue, then congratulations! On the other hand, if the team isn’t getting along and the generational gap is the cause, then it’s up to the HR leader to bridge that gap and help team members learn from and appreciate each other, leverage their differences and use them to their advantage in support of one another, the department and, by extension, the entire company.

• Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) are commonly associated with economic prosperity, personal achievement, social change and the belief that hard work leads to success.

• Generation X (born 1965 to 1980) is defined by its transitional position between analog and digital technology and is mostly known for resilience, the ability to adapt to change and valuing work-life balance.

“Rarely does one generation excel at everything, but collectively, they make for a formidable team that can pivot expertly through shared expertise.”

• Millennials/Gen Y (born 1981 to 1996) are known for being tech-savvy and socially conscious, more formally educated and more racially diverse than previous generations.

• Generation Z (born 1997 to 2012) is defined as the first generation to grow up with heavy exposure to digital technology and social media. Its members are often considered more cautious and pragmatic, with a strong sense of social justice and environmental awareness.

• Lastly, Generation Alpha (born 2010 to 2024) is known for growing up fully in the digital era with AI, social media and advanced technology. Its members are fairly young and may be part of the workforce through internships or part-time work.

Second, every HR team’s generational makeup will be different, but the solution to the generational gap is the same: providing the team with balance. For example, if you have a few Baby Boomers on the team, encourage them to act as mentors but without condescension. Members of Generation X and Millennials will likely be in career-building mode, and encouraging them to see the value of working with Baby Boomers for mentorship while appreciating the technological expertise of Generation Z or Generation Alpha may be an overlooked opportunity for growth. The same would be true for members of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, whose skills could contribute to solutions their co-workers may have limited knowledge of or experience applying to a problem. In return, members of Generation Z and Generation Alpha gain a front-row seat to a holistic approach and a strategic vision of what can be achieved.

Third, implementing team-building exercises with your multigenerational employees can be a creative and helpful way for HR employees to see what they each bring to the company. Creating balance or simply helping them realize the strength and diversity that their collective wealth of knowledge, experience and skills brings to the organization is essential to building a well-rounded, powerful team. Other approaches could include coaching employees individually, then bringing everyone together as a team for a group discussion on the subject. No matter which method is chosen, the goal is to elicit a healthy change in thinking and enhance the HR work dynamic, eliminating any preconceived notions or unnecessary competition over which generation brings more value than another.

All in all, eliminating the generational gap by encouraging teamwork and highlighting the team’s contributions toward unified goals and values will help the group thrive. Rarely does one generation excel at everything, but collectively, they make for a formidable team that can pivot expertly through shared expertise. When the HR leader is able to bridge the generational gap and achieve a balanced, healthy relationship among team members, the result is a respectful, inclusive and well-coordinated HR team capable of fostering trust and innovation while engaging and supporting employees and contributing to organizational success.