People like working alongside colleagues of different ages, though they don't necessarily understand their lingo, according to the Randstad Workmonitor Q2 2018 report.

Nearly all (90 percent) of the survey's respondents say that a multigenerational workforce is mutually beneficial, though most workers (81 percent) agree the primary difference between generations in the workplace is communication styles.

More than a third of workers (38 percent) admit they find it difficult to communicate with coworkers who are not in their own age group. Men are nearly twice as likely as women to report difficulty communicating with coworkers outside of their generation (49 percent of men, versus 27 percent of women).

“Part of the challenge of managing effectively is knowing how to relay your message, which requires understanding the individual communication styles of the people on your team and how they approach their work,” says Jim Link, chief human resources officer for Randstad North America. “There are more generations in the workforce than ever before, which has resulted in a greater variety of expectations around workplace communication. People in different stages of their lives and careers are also motivated in different ways, and managers must work to tailor feedback to help individuals maximize their potential.”

Fifty-four percent of employees connect with their colleagues on social media, while only 33 percent connect with their direct managers. Those percentages jump for younger generations: 75 percent of workers aged 18 to 24 report being connected with colleagues on social media compared to just 33 percent of workers aged 55 to 67.

When it comes to whether workers disdain having younger people as bosses, 84 percent of the respondents say the age of their direct managers is not important as long as they are inspirational — though 76 percent prefer their direct managers be the same age or older. For younger workers aged 25 to 34, nearly all (92 percent) say they would rather have an older boss.

While most workers (83 percent) say their direct managers are talented at working together with various generations, 58 percent say their direct managers treat colleagues from various generations differently.

“Whether this is perceived as a positive thing or not varies from person to person, but it is clear that managers should tailor their communication styles to individual team members,” Link says.

Instant Insights /

Communication the top challenge of a multigenerational workforce

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