Multi-Generational Engagement, I’m sure you will have come across this buzzphrase a few times recently. But why is it so important?

Well, at 36, I fall into the gap between Generation X and Millennials, I am a Xennial, as some are now calling it. I’m part of that hybrid bunch who have an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood and because of this we tend to be as comfortable picking up the phone and having a chat as we are communicating through the hieroglyphics of emoticons and memes on WhatsApp. However, we’re the smallest part of the workforce. Other generations will tend towards one or the other because of the technology that was available for the majority of their lives.

The workforce itself is a blend of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Xennials, Millennials and the iGeneration who are now entering the market. They all tend to communicate differently, but it would be unwise to stereotype Baby Boomers as purely face to face and phone call based and the iGeneration to only be about social media or instant messaging. However, these generational differences make the job for Internal Communications and Employee Engagement professionals all the more difficult in regularly engaging each group.

It’s not all different though, there are also similarities. Many studies have shown that most of the workforce, despite their generation, look for companies that are well managed, that look after their employees and that give them the authority to make decisions. There lies the key pillars of engagement, communicating these organisational strengths!

Gary Gill, Associate Director, Joseph & Co