A look inside the modern workplace: Supporting boomers to zoomers
29 Aug 2025
To nurture an engaged and resilient workforce today, organisations must understand who their people are. Including the differences across generations, and how to harness the full potential of an intergenerational workforce.
What shapes each generation
Each generation has been shaped by distinct social, economic, and technological influences. Baby Boomers grew up in a post-war era whereas Gen X have experienced technological change moving from analogue to digital and economic uncertainty. Millennials were exposed early on to the adaption of the internet, smartphones, and social media becoming mainstream ways of connecting, and Gen Z are well accustomed with technology having grown up in that space and expect seamless tech integration in most aspects of work and life. It is these formative experiences that create differences between the generations, from communication styles to career expectations, that transpire into the workplace.
Differences in the workplace
Five generations are now co-existing in the workplace. While this diversity offers opportunity, it also presents differences to consider.
Some of these differences include:
- Communication styles: People with different experiences may have a preference to communication types they are accustomed to.
- Workplace culture: Less than 30% of Boomers said that company culture had a significant influence on their decision to remain with their employer. Whereas for the younger generations, an organisation’s stand on corporate responsibility plays a major role in their commitment.
- Flexibility: Gen Z prioritise flexibility highly when considering where to work, reflecting their desire to fit work around their lifestyle. Older employees tend to prefer structured environments, struggling with the blurring of boundaries that flexible and remote working may cause.
- Career Progression: Boomers often value stability, while younger generations seek rapid growth and purpose-driven roles.
Above all else, Work Foundation notes: “The real challenge is that whilst employers recognise the benefits of multigenerational workforces, many are not putting in place age-inclusive policies to support colleagues from across generations to lead productive, happy, and healthy working lives.”
The benefits of an intergenerational workforce
When embraced, age diversity can be a powerful asset. Everyone’s experiences are different and shape them uniquely, however when they are brought together in cohesion they can bring benefits to any organisation.
These include:
- Diversity of thought: Different life experiences lead to broader perspectives, more innovative thinking, and creative problem-solving.
- Balanced risk-taking: Younger generations may push for outside the box ideas to trial and test, while older colleagues offer insight from past experience to meet in the middle.
- Mentorship opportunities: Natural mentoring relationships can develop, fostering growth and the transfer of skills.
- Enhanced productivity: In organisations with inclusive practices, the proportion of employees reporting low productivity drops from 25% to 13%.
- Preserving knowledge and embracing fresh perspectives: Older generations maintain institutional knowledge, while employees early on in their career can challenge norms and drive change.
H3: Encouraging collaboration across generations
To build a truly inclusive and collaborative environment, organisations must be intentional.
Practical steps might include:
- Facilitating real-life scenario discussions. Training sessions where employees talk through actual workplace situations or challenges can help bridge generational gaps and foster mutual understanding.
- Respecting communication preferences. Asking individuals about their preferences and providing multiple channels such as email, chat tools, phone calls, and in-person chats ensures that different styles are accommodated.
- Leveraging AI tools. Technology can support inclusive communication and help reduce misunderstandings across age groups. For example, it can adapt tone, format, and complexity, like converting technical jargon into simpler "plain English”, based on an individual’s preferences. AI can also analyse the communication and suggest a more inclusive way to phrase it.
- Training managers. Equipping leaders with the skills to support age-diverse teams and recognise the unique needs of each generation.
- Implement reverse mentoring. Pairing younger employees with older colleagues to facilitate the sharing and exchange of skills.
- Creating cross-generational project teams. Assigning mixed-age teams to projects encourages natural knowledge exchange and helps break down stereotypes.
- Using anonymous surveys. Gathering insights on workplace needs across age groups can inform more inclusive practices.
- Offering generational awareness training. Workshops that explore communication styles, values, and work habits—alongside bias training—can foster empathy and reduce assumptions.
The modern workplace is more diverse than ever, and age is a vital part of that diversity. By recognising the unique contributions of each generation and fostering inclusive practices, organisations can build stronger, more resilient teams.
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