Four generations to become the norm in British workplaces
Our strap line is ‘Ahead of the Game in 86, Still Ahead Now’ and this week we’ve had the pleasure of seeing the validity of this statement. Last week we presented the idea of having an Age Rainbow in your office and we discussed the benefits of age diversity and how this will change your company for the better.
This week the topic of the Age Rainbow (although not called that) became the main focus of the reactions to ‘The Future of Work’ report released by UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) which predicts that 4G workplaces will become the norm in the near future.
For the first time ever, Britain will have workforces made up of four different generations (4G) due to the retirement age being delayed and more people being determined to work well into their 70s or even their 80s.
UKCES set out four potential scenarios for Britain based on the predictions that they have made:
Forced Flexibility: greater flexibility in working will lead to a change in the way people work day to day, which in turn will help aid the recovery of the UK’s economy.
The Great Divide: a two-tier society will appear, as strong high-tech companies prosper and low-tech industries fall by the wayside.
Skills Activism: innovation and technological advances encourage the automation of workers which will require government led training schemes to assist workers who are at risk of being left behind
Innovation Adaptation: productivity is improved by relying on IT solutions.
Toby Peyton-Jones, Director of HR for Siemens in the UK and North-West Europe and a commissioner at UKCES, said to The Recruiter– ‘Will we see inter-generational stress and culture clashes or will this prove to be a positive tension that is part of a wider diversity trend that will drive innovation?”
Reading the reaction to this report so far, people seem to be focusing on the negative side of this news. While there is negativity in the possibilities outlined above, there is also the potential for a greater future. People seem to be mostly concerned about not being able to keep up with technological advances, but this isn’t a new phenomenon. We’ve been trying to keep up with technological advances for decades now and we know that we are capable of adapting!
The potential for bad and good are equal, but as you know from our last blog, the team here at Cullen Scholefield see the cup as half full. We have already experienced greater innovation and positive tension (to quote Toby Peyton-Jones) from the diversity of ages that make up our team here. We all know that a range of opinions is better than one and it is the same with a range of ages.
The future of the workforce may be changing: yes there will be a greater mix of ages, yes there will be more technology, yes there will be more flexible working, but all this sounds fairly positive don’t you think?
A mix of young and old will keep the generations communicating with each other and learning from one another. Greater technology will make doing your job much easier. More flexible working means that you can work the week that you want.
Whilst there will be plenty of logistical issues and adaptation to change, the end result sounds pretty positive and while the sun is finally shining, I choose to look on the bright side of our future. It’s that age old advice that we preach here: focus on the solutions not the problems and a positive attitude encourages positive change. The future is bright as long as you let it be.