Intergenerational bonds Emilie Durrer Stambolic

OFPC Responsable RH

18 Juin 2015

CNAM Pays de la Loire, Nantes

Leonardo partenariats - “Janus”

This presentation is mainly based on the book

Julien Pouget "Intégrer et manager la génération Y"

Published by Editions Vuibert, Collection Lire

Agir, 2nd edition, April 2013

What's a generation?

"people within a delineated population who experience the same significant events within a given period of time"structural term designating the parent-child relationship (evaluated around 30 years)

What builds/ makes a generation?

Members of a same generation are influenced by:

– Events– Leaders– Developments– Tendancies wich took place in their youth and teenage.

How are they called?

Nowadays our society is made up by 5 generations:

oThe traditionalists (born between 1922 and 1944)

oThe baby-boomers (born between 1945 and 1964

oThe members of the X generation (born between 1965 and 1977

oThe members of the Y generation (born between 1978 and 1994

oThe members of the Z generation (born between 1995 till now)

The Traditionalists(1922 – 1944)Silent generationThey had to deal with the great depression of 1929 – enormous cases of bankrupcies, severe rising of unemploymentThey were kids at that timePolitical context: World War IITouched by the consequencies of the war – mourning, grief, destruction, food rationing, etc.)Parents of baby-boomers and grandparents of YThey are almost all retired (71 to 93 years)

The Baby-Boomers (1945 – 1964)

Increase of birth after the WWII, this generation is the most important of the XXth century

Political context: decolonization, Cold war, begining of the european construction (no other global conflict / world war)

Massive development of education and acces to hight studies (from 220'000 to 514'000 students)

Positive evolution for women Riot of May 68: complains about the rules Importance of the radio Economic context: Thirty glorious years til 1973 They are between 51 and 70 years old, parents of Y

Members of the X generation (1965- 1977)Disenchantment, disillusionmentPolitical context: War in Vietnam, end of the cold warEconomical context: hard, depression of the 70ties, begining of massive unemployment, 1973 oil crisisAt work: All the top or middle positions are occupied by the baby-boomers so slower rising/ promotion This generation is stuck in between two hudge generations (Baby-boomers and Y)Creation of personnal computer, development of video games et first steps of internet

Members of the Y generation (1978-1994) Digital natives, Generation Peter Pan Legal changes are acquired ( emancipation of women , etc.) They were born in a world, in wich aids already exists and

in wich people got interested in ecology Children from baby-boomers, they are part of a hudge

generation (2nd most important of the XXth century) Political context: only the grandparents have experienced

war, Europe and its construction is normal (Schengen area, Euro, Erasmus, etc.)

Economical context: difficult (crisis, unemployment, etc.)

Members of the Z generation (1995-today)

They grew up with the information and communications technology (ICT) The oldest ones are 20 years old

Their expectations are mostly alike the one of the Y generation.

They should have no difficulties to find a job.

The Z generation is also called the new silent generation because they are comparable to the traditionalists born between 1922 and 1944.

The oldest ones were 6 on the attacks of September 11, 2001.

We don't know yet a lot about their culture but we can guess comparing with the other silent generation.

What about in our working place?

Generational distributions

The main features of the members of the Y generation (21 to 38 years old)

Close relationship with Information and communication technology (ICT)

Culture of instantaneity Learning by doing Search for meaning A globalized generation Much emotion

How is it in the workplace?

• Relationships with colleagues• Expectations of the hierarchy• Fear/Acceptation/Representative of the

professional environment • Relationships with public subsidies

beneficiaries / clients

Evolution of the HierarchyExpectations of the young professionals vs their managers

• Get attention– At any moment, with no formality, express a

disagreement

• Be respected– In ones life projects, without discrimination

• Be recognized and considered– As a collaborator, as a person

• Be accompanied and mentored– Daily, in his professional development

Consequences for managers

• A legitimacy to be gained • Avoid projections and replications • Towards a position of coaching manager

Manager coach

• Develop a framework of collaboration (finality of the results, flexibility of the work style)

• Learn to manage contradictions • Create and maintain a personal relationship

(be interested in the personal life of the Y, leave place for feelings)

• Promote a participatory management style Share info, consult, encourage initiative

Manage the intergenerationalWhy be interested in different generations?

• Evolution of labor demographics– Important generational crossovers: baby-boomers

will leave the company and by replaced by the Z – This demographic evolution will be accompanied

by a multiplication of generational cohabitations within the companies

The stakes of generational management

• Definition: • Art of assembling and making different

generations work together. • It aims at developing a spirit of collaboration

between the generations. This management seeks to facilitate the integration of new collaborators and to take into account the specific expectations of seniors.

Stakes of intergenerational management

•Cooperation between generations and operational efficiency•Transfers of knowledge within companies

– Frequent lack of processes and infrastructure to support the transfer of knowledge

– Presence of high levels of informal knowledge•Prevention of generational conflicts

Diagnose the situation of a company

•Conduct an audit of equal ages– Wage increase, bonus, promotions,

mobility, training, etc ...– Same treatment for all ages?– Satisfaction survey of employees

•Observation of behavior– Employees do they mix? Are they

familiar together? Volunteers for tutoring ? Etc.

Objections & Reviews

• This approach does not meet all the managerial issues.

• It's complex• It's useless, young and less young have to

adapt themselves.• Egalitarians believer

State of play of generational cooperation in business

• CollaborationEmployees of all ages naturally mix during the working phases

as in usability phases (lunch, breaks) Former spontaneously take time to coach young people.

• CohabitationAbsence of open conflict & lack of relations between the

different age employees

• Showdown /ConfrontationExistence of "clans" generational mistrust & assumed the

occurrence of "clashes"

The main reasons of conflicts

• The work schedule• The use of technology• Modes of communication• Being managed by a younger• Wage inequalities

Some questions to ask yourself

•Is there a balanced distribution of age classes in my department / unit? Some categories are overrepresented?•During moments of conviviality (coffee, lunch, cocktail), the different generations of employees do they mix spontaneously?•Tu / vous: Are there different practices (young or old who are familiar together but formal with others?)

Some questions to ask yourself

• When setting up a mentoring program, is it easy to find volunteers?

• In the daily life of the service / unit, can we hear judgments of values such as: "Anyway, young ... / ... old."?

• Turnover: Is the number of resignations and transfers requests related to the number of departure proportionally more important in an age group?

How to improve intergenerational bond

•The physical organization of offices

•Awareness and training of managers

•Creation of pairs in generational project

•Intergenerational tutoring

•Casual time / free time

Now your turn to play to make intergenerational bonds work out !

Thank you for your attention

Emilie Durrer Stambolic

Living together