Intergenerational Relationships: The Key to a Better Workplace?

A recent New York Times article highlights a friendship between two men, a 19 year old college student and a 76 year old retiree. The younger didn’t expect to gain much from ScrippsAVID, the Miami University of Ohio program which paired the two together for regular video chats. Launched in 2022, ScrippsAVID is designed to build social ties across generational gaps. “As age segregation in our society has increased, the impetus to try to overcome it has definitely grown,” says Charles Pillemer, a Cornell gerontologist. Pillemer describes how that divide has “produced a decrease in opportunities for natural intergenerational communication.”

As a Baby Boomer, I recall multigenerational family dinners on Sunday afternoons. My parents weren’t alone in raising me: my grandparents, aunts, and uncles all played important roles in my childhood. Reflecting on that experience today, I realize how much it taught me about respecting and learning from my elders.

Employees today face a workplace plagued by ageism. Too often distracted by our differences, workers young and old don’t see our many shared values. There is an opportunity for vibrancy in the workplace that has yet to be harnessed. 

There is a richness that emerges from encouraging conversation amongst those of different generations. Creativity is unleashed. Opportunities for innovation abound. Older generations still working bring a wise perspective that can transform a disengaged workforce. And youth who are so much more facile with technology can help those of us challenged by it to build greater digital skill and confidence. Wouldn’t that lead to greater profitability? More importantly, wouldn’t stronger intergenerational ties make for a healthier workplace?

Currently we experience an epidemic of loneliness across generations. What if people talked with one another about being lonely and their need for some degree of attention? What if those of us of a certain age began talking about the value of a job beyond its salary? What if we could help build a workplace that provides satisfaction, acknowledgment and appreciation? 

What if kindness and gratitude prevailed?

I’d love to know your thoughts on intergenerational communication.  Have you experienced it? If so, how and when? Or do you feel like your workplace suffers from a lack of cross-generational empathy? Let’s bring the conversation into the mainstream of work life.

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Want to learn more about how your organization can meet the needs of a workforce that now encompasses five generations? Consider attending the Society for Human Resource’s 2024 Annual Conference & Expo this June. SHRM24’s sessions include talks on integrating new Gen Z workers into the workforce and supporting pre-retirees.