BOSTON - December 13, 2006 -
Almost six out of 10 companies are using older employees as mentors to
younger workers, and about one-third are sponsoring after-hours
get-togethers to improve relations between generations at the
workplace, according to a survey by ClearRock, an executive coaching and outplacement firm headquartered in Boston.
The
top ways companies are trying to improve on-the-job relations between
younger and older employees, according to the ClearRock survey of about
100 organizations, are:
Using older employees as mentors
|
(57%) |
| Coaching |
(47%) |
| Improved communication |
(34%) |
After-hours get-togethers
|
(31%) |
| Sensitivity training |
(15%) |
Almost
as many companies rated their workplace relations between generations
as excellent (44%) as those that said they are good (46%). Only 10% rated relations between generations as fair, and none as poor.
By
2012, the percentage of employees in the work force age 55 and older
will be nearly 20 percent, while those ages 25 to 54 will decrease to
about 66 percent from 70 percent now, according to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
"At the same time, companies are under increasing pressure to hold on to retiring Baby Boomers. Almost
8,000 of the nation's 78 million Baby Boomers are turning 60 years old
every day, and organizations want to keep as many of them in the work
force as long as they can," said Annie Stevens, managing partner for ClearRock. 59% of companies in the ClearRock survey expect most of their Baby Boomers to begin to retire on or before age 62. Almost
half (46%) of surveyed companies said they would like at least 25
percent of their Baby Boomers to continue working past retirement age,
but only about one-third (36%) really expect to keep that many on their
payrolls.
"Younger and older employees can help each other grow professionally," said
Greg Gostanian, managing partner for ClearRock. "Older
employees are naturally suited to use some of their life and
professional experiences to provide coaching to younger employees. But
younger employees should assist their older co-workers in learning new
skills such as operating new software and hardware, and other things in
which they may be more technically proficient."
Informal after-work get-togethers such as parties, sports, or cocktails, are great generational bridges. "A lot of the pressures of the workplace are not present, and it's easier to relate to each other as people," said Stevens.
Improving communication is key to making sure employees of different generations understand one another. "One of the most common reasons for problems is lack of, or misunderstood, communication. This is an even more critical issue when different generations are involved. Be
sure to ascertain, in a non-threatening and non-confrontational way,
whether each person understands the other's communication. If
it isn't understood, try to re-state it another way, or provide
additional details, without being antagonistic or condescending," said
Gostanian.
About ClearRock
ClearRock focuses on executive coaching and outplacement. The
coaching process helps link business objectives, vision, and direction
with individual development of key leaders in the organization. The
outplacement process helps individuals and groups successfully navigate
through the career transition process, and clarify and implement career
and life goals and objectives. For more information, please visit our website at www.clearrock.com.