Organisations in 2025 have something that we previously didn’t often see, or rather we didn’t acknowledge. Although historically, companies have always had employees ranging within various age groups, what we observe today that sets them apart are labels that categorise each group of employees. Let’s face it, our workplace is like our own little ecosystem and very much like we did in high school or university, here too we end up having our “cliques” where we automatically gravitate towards people that we have things in common with. Much like the foundation of any friendship, this is how we also make friends in the workplace.
In light of this, referring to various generations based on their age groups like the younger generation as “genz” or senior colleagues as “boomer” has become common practice and this often affects the way in which we interact with them. Of course from a diversity perspective acknowledging that various age groups exist is important but this sometimes turns out to be counterproductive when we hold stereotypes towards certain generations in terms of their methods of work and workplace practices. For instance, have you ever heard the stereotype that a senior member in the company does not want to embrace the use of a new tool or technology because that is “not how they did things during their time?” Or on the other end of the spectrum, there are the very opinionated freshers that do not want to engage in certain “traditional” workplace practices because there are more innovative ways of doing things. This doesn’t sound very pleasant or harmonious does it?
However, I am not here to point fingers or the shortcomings of a multigenerational workplace because in fact the benefits far outweigh these little stereotypes and labels. Imagine the enriching conversations and exchange of ideas that are created when someone with years of experience combines their wisdom with the fresh perspective of a younger colleague. Additionally, imagine how much exchange of knowledge might occur both ways, especially with a fresher under the wing of someone that has been in the industry for decades. These are the exciting elements that we should focus on rather than on insubstantial things like labels.
As someone that has worked with colleagues of various age groups, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to receive their insights and hear about their experiences. While research shows that generational differences can lead to miscommunications in the workplace, it is important for individuals to be mindful of how they communicate with their colleagues and be respectful of everyone around them regardless of age and any other demographics.
Just my two cents on a growing trend that I have observed and heard from a few of my colleagues and friends. Would love to know what you all think about it.
I really like the point you bring up here @damayantichowdhury09! It is so easy to slip into using labels like boomer or gen Z as if that explains a whole person. We have probably all done it at some point. It feels quick and harmless, but the risk is that we stop seeing our colleagues for who they really are.
If I look at real ecosystems in nature, they do not thrive because everyone stays in their own group. They thrive because there is symbiosis. Each part brings something different that makes the whole stronger. Workplaces are no different. The magic happens when we actually use those complementary strengths instead of defaulting to stereotypes.
Respect is a good baseline, but I feel what really shifts the game is curiosity. Am I willing to meet this colleague as a person rather than a category? That is where the real collaboration and learning start. ☀️
Excellent points here, @damayantichowdhury09. The use of those labels reminds me of the need for our brains to neatly categorise people. It’s an understandable impulse, but not one that serves a lot of purpose when we’re actually working with (and getting to know) people.
There are of course, as you note here, very good reasons for acknowledging the diversity of ages in one’s workplace. Interestingly, @fmason was making the point in another post earlier today that one productive use of this acknowledgement is as a measure for what sorts of benefits an employer offers employees. Different generations of employees require different benefit strategies!
I’d love to read what some of our members think:
@SalC @LegoMD @rstambolieva @brittbosma @berat can @Naturally Mindful @Gianluca @HRJoy @HRHappiness @andra.enache @Hellohere @HannahPorteous-Butler @Kim Stringer
We have had good success in leveraging inter generational learning and management. As a tech firm combining the domain knowledge with the new tech and EVERYONE’S energy has been a really successful talent strategy.
We don’t tend to label people (other than a bit of banter about our 6th form common room!) and have people with ‘less’ years managing people with ‘more’ years, we have product specialists advising tech specialists and vice versa.
The experience usually kicks in as necessary when we encounter new challenges because for some (of us) it’s not our first or tenth rodeo…
We have an obligation to grow people and talented people no matter their generation, their age or their label…
I really like the point you bring up here @damayantichowdhury09! It is so easy to slip into using labels like boomer or gen Z as if that explains a whole person. We have probably all done it at some point. It feels quick and harmless, but the risk is that we stop seeing our colleagues for who they really are.
If I look at real ecosystems in nature, they do not thrive because everyone stays in their own group. They thrive because there is symbiosis. Each part brings something different that makes the whole stronger. Workplaces are no different. The magic happens when we actually use those complementary strengths instead of defaulting to stereotypes.
Respect is a good baseline, but I feel what really shifts the game is curiosity. Am I willing to meet this colleague as a person rather than a category? That is where the real collaboration and learning start. ☀️
I completely agree @SabbuSchreiber, people certainly thrive because there is symbiosis! I believe there needs to be innate curiosity and the will for collaboration and we can then all harmoniously exist without bothering about trivial things like labels and categories.
Excellent points here, @damayantichowdhury09. The use of those labels reminds me of the need for our brains to neatly categorise people. It’s an understandable impulse, but not one that serves a lot of purpose when we’re actually working with (and getting to know) people.
There are of course, as you note here, very good reasons for acknowledging the diversity of ages in one’s workplace. Interestingly, @fmason was making the point in another post earlier today that one productive use of this acknowledgement is as a measure for what sorts of benefits an employer offers employees. Different generations of employees require different benefit strategies!
I’d love to read what some of our members think:
@SalC @LegoMD @rstambolieva @brittbosma @berat can @Naturally Mindful @Gianluca @HRJoy @HRHappiness @andra.enache @Hellohere @HannahPorteous-Butler @Kim Stringer
Thanks @Moe!
That sounds like a great point, will definitely give the post a read, thanks for sharing!
We have had good success in leveraging inter generational learning and management. As a tech firm combining the domain knowledge with the new tech and EVERYONE’S energy has been a really successful talent strategy.
We don’t tend to label people (other than a bit of banter about our 6th form common room!) and have people with ‘less’ years managing people with ‘more’ years, we have product specialists advising tech specialists and vice versa.
The experience usually kicks in as necessary when we encounter new challenges because for some (of us) it’s not our first or tenth rodeo…
We have an obligation to grow people and talented people no matter their generation, their age or their label…
That is amazing to hear @fmason! I completely agree with your point, people need to be given the space to grow regardless of anything that tends to ‘categorise’ them.
We have had good success in leveraging inter generational learning and management. As a tech firm combining the domain knowledge with the new tech and EVERYONE’S energy has been a really successful talent strategy.
We don’t tend to label people (other than a bit of banter about our 6th form common room!) and have people with ‘less’ years managing people with ‘more’ years, we have product specialists advising tech specialists and vice versa.
The experience usually kicks in as necessary when we encounter new challenges because for some (of us) it’s not our first or tenth rodeo…
We have an obligation to grow people and talented people no matter their generation, their age or their label…
One thing I’m curious about, @fmason : at any point in your career, have you had to manage any awkwardness or tension resulting from someone younger managing their older colleague? I ask because in my former life as a sports reporter, this sort of dynamic did result in some slight tension in newsrooms I’ve worked in.
@Aaron Windrum, I’d love to get some perspective from you as part of this conversation as well 😄
Thanks @Moe .
@damayantichowdhury09 Great topic and observations. Just my two cents, but I believe what we’re seeing in today’s multi-generational workplace is, in many ways, the product of the different education systems each generation experienced.
In my early years at school, teaching tools were books, blackboards, chalk, overhead projectors with handwritten acetate sheets. During my later school years, personal computers entered classrooms, digital projectors replaced the old ones, and technology quickly became central to teaching. During my first years at Uni, assignments needed to be physically printed and required binding, they were then submitted in person. By my final year, online submission was being introduced. As a result, each generation entering the workforce has been exposed to a different set of tools from the start.
Workplaces are also experiencing these changes and constantly evolving to bridge gaps between older and newer ways of working. It’s not unlike the past transition from typewriters and fax machines to computers and email. Another thing I’ve realised is that younger people entering the workplace are expecting workplaces to have the latest tools to assist them in carrying out their roles efficiently, which isn’t surprising considering that they had access to these both in education and at home.
As you mention, while generational labels can be useful to spot common patterns, we can’t overlook individuality and personal preference. One person may love reading on a Kindle, while another prefers a physical book, regardless of generation.
I’ve found mentorship and reverse mentorship programmes to be a great way to bridge the divide. They enable the knowledge and wisdom sharing between different generations in the workplace which you mention. I’ve found what tends to happen is that those taking part find out they have more in common than they think, and having shared organisational goals helps with this too.
It’s a fascinating conversation, and it’s important to see both the common generational influences and the unique preferences that shape how each of us works best.
Thank you for sharing your perspective – I agree that while “labelling” can be useful in ensuring that different parts are listened to, it is only effective if those who use the labels do so without bias. In my experience, the issue isn’t the label itself, but the unconscious biases of those applying it.
And this can go in both directions – older generations are sometimes deprioritised (for example during recruitment processes) because they may not be seen as “up to speed” with new technologies, while younger generations may be viewed as less capable of leading others.
An interesting initiative we had in one of my previous workplaces was called reverse mentoring – where a senior-level employee is mentored by someone more junior. It was a great experience that showed us all that we can always learn something new.
