Two young founders of a start-up, both in their late twenties, ask me for advice. They have just hired their first employee. And are faced with different generations in the workplace and thus difference in perspective. An employment contract has been drawn up, they are paying him salary; now things are starting to get serious! They are very happy with the modest investment recently raised that makes this expansion of the team possible.

And it's necessary too, because there's a lot of work to do. Much more than is good for a steady work-life balance for both of them; they have been spending day and night for 2 years getting their start-up up and running.

Picking up the first investment and hiring the first permanent employee is always an official moment. It is somewhat reminiscent of the construction of a new house. The moment when the highest point is reached and so-called "panner beer" is poured: now the roof tiles can be put on and at least for the time being we are dry! 

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An inclusive work environment with room for different generations in the workplace

The first employee of our start-up, let's call him Tim, is eager to get started. He gets a warm welcome. There is no real onboarding: when there are 3 of you, you just catch up with each other. Tim is in his mid-thirties and has just become a father for the first time. When he applied for a job, he was clear: the birth of his son has changed him and made him realize that there is more to the world than just work. In addition to work, he wants to fulfill his father role well. Although the 2 founders can't imagine much about this (yet), they believe that being a modern employer means giving your people space to manage their own time. They consciously choose an inclusive work environment and every generation can come to them. And Tim has scarce expertise, which is badly needed within the company. So Tim gets all the space he needs.

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The formation of cracks 

It is inconvenient, though, that Tim closes his laptop at 4 p.m. every day. His girlfriend has a full-time job and they both feel that their little son should not spend more than 6 hours a day at daycare; too many stimuli otherwise.

Tim is not too bad to do something in the evenings then, and he does a good job.

But after a while, the founders find that it's also getting harder and harder to start up together in the morning. Tim is never actually there before 10 a.m. 

It rather disrupts the work process with stand ups and alignment and the founders decide to ask Tim if this can be done differently. Tim indicates that he would like to, but it doesn't work out. His infant son always doesn't wake up until 8:30. And he and his girlfriend have learned that it's very important for a young child's development that you don't disrupt the natural rhythm too much. This is where the first generation crack occurs.

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Look from the perspective of different generations in the workplace

The founders are now sincerely wondering, to what extent they should move with it. What is good employment? What is good fatherhood? One founder decides to research this generation and calls his sister. She herself became a mother not so long ago and is therefore "more comfortable with it. The sister responds sympathetically to Tim's choices. She, too, lets her baby sleep through and she insists that the founders are not going to cut Tim any slack. They don't want to, but hey there's work to be done too!

The founder decides to broaden his research and consult another generation and calls his 80-year-old grandmother. She listens attentively and then is crystal clear in her feedback: She has never heard such nonsense about children. "Get your lazy ass out of bed and get to work. No one has ever been worse off for that. Sleep when you're old". 

And by the sounds of it, even then it didn't.

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Who is right here? And can you speak of that at all?

It is a wonderful example of the dynamics of our time. Meanwhile, we participate in the labor process in the workplace with 5 different generations: workers from 17 - 70 years old are colleagues here.

What a wealth of wisdom and experience you would say!

And we also see so clearly the misunderstandings that arise. Because working from different norms, frameworks and views. And because age differences in the workplace also not infrequently trigger typical "parent-child" patterns.

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Conclusion

Confronting generational differences in the workplace, as described in the blog, illustrates the challenges of dealing with different perspectives and norms between generations. At a time when five generations are participating in the workforce, understanding and respecting each other's needs and views is essential for an inclusive work environment. While there is no absolute "right" or "wrong" in this situation, the example highlights the importance of open communication, empathy and flexibility to promote harmony and productivity among employees of various age groups. For tips on how to conduct open and transparent performance appraisals read our blog.

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Curious about the best strategies for generational diversity? Then listen to the BNR Work Professor podcast episode with Hajar belongs to generation Z herself, is committed to youth participation in the workplace and boardrooms, with the goal of ensuring that the newest generation is equally represented and heard.

Questions? Or just want to spar? Feel free to contact us!

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