Features Business
Editorial: Learn to connect

Having travelled to several trade shows and conferences this year, there is one key issue everyone brings up. 

The labour shortage. 

Due to an aging workforce, many companies are struggling to find and keep workers. It’s a chronic problem not just in this industry, but in many sectors. 

There are a variety of ways to help alleviate the problem. The most important is keeping your current employees. Doing so requires a few key ingredients, but having a happy, enjoyable workplace is among the most important. 

To create such an atmosphere begins by understanding the challenges and needs of employees who often span multiple generations.

At a recent conference I attened, keynote speaker and author Ryan Jenkins dug into the challenges and potential that generational differences provide a workplace.

Finding ways to bridge the gap between generations is vital for any company to achieve success, he explained. Partnering the enthusiasm and creativity of youth with the wisdom of age can develop a thriving business. 

However, multiple generations working in the same environment can often lead to friction. Understanding what is causing that friction and how to solve it should be the main priority of anyone in a leadership role. 

We are, Jenkins explained, shaped by the world we grow up in and the experiences it provides. Those experiences for someone growing up in the 1960s will be in stark difference for someone who was raised in the 1980s, or someone who came of age in the early 2000s.

Unlocking the power of a multi-generational workforce starts, Jenkins said, by learning the motivations and needs of each generation. 

What do they hope to get out of work? Is it just a pay cheque? Does it provide meaning to their life? 

How do they prefer to communicate? Do they want regular feedback or prefer to be left alone? 

Jenkins notes it’s important to remember this is a guide. Generational explanations are not carved in stone. But they can be a good start to understand behaviour and optimal ways to motivate your workforce. 

Once you better understand people, then you can begin to tap into their strengths. 

The big problem plaguing our society, and by extension the workplace, is the lack of connection people currently feel. Many of us are lonely, he explained, and the loneliest generation is Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012). 

While it feels as though we are more connected than ever thanks to technology, Jenkins said we are confusing communication with connection. 

“Connection is felt. And if you want to see big strides and really leverage connection, we have to take that one step further from communication to connection,” he said

He advised companies to focus on creating connected workplaces. That will result in more productive employees who want to stay with your company. 

mlacey@annexbusinessmedia.com