What does a generation manager do?
Each generation has its own expectations of working life. With smart generation management, employers can bridge differences and ensure the transfer of knowledge between generations.
Read in this article
- Generation Z: More life than work please!
- Why is generation management important?
- What are common areas of conflict between the generations?
- What does a generation manager do??
- Who can become a generation manager?
- What does the "GenIHK" certification course offer?
- Structure of the certification course for generation managers
Germany's companies are facing a capacity and performance risk of unprecedented proportions. Baby boomers are gradually leaving the labor market. A younger generation is replacing them, but they will not be able to close the personnel gap. This is because the group of older people is growing, while younger people are becoming fewer and fewer.
Generation Z: More life than work please!
Demographic change is also leading to new demands from the younger generation in working life: More life than work, more salary and less career, is the credo of Generation Z.
This requirement alone can lead to conflicts in the cooperation between different generations, which need to be managed. Generation management addresses this challenge.
Why is generation management important?
Five generations currently come together in the workplace in Germany. The age range in a team can be more than 40 years. This is a challenge for managers and HR, as conflicts can arise on many levels when the different generations work together.
Generation managers know which factors have a positive influence on the working atmosphere. They mediate confidently between the different requirements of the generations, build age-appropriate and cross-generational social networks and structures within the company and mediate in conflict situations.
Or think about your "customers", they probably belong to different age groups and employees from different generations can better respond to their different needs and preferences.
Overall, generational diversity is an essential component of a dynamic and resilient work environment. Companies that integrate the different perspectives and experiences of all generations are better equipped to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the modern business world and achieve long-term success.
What are common areas of conflict between the generations?
1. different values and attitudes to work
Attitudes towards work have changed in recent years. While the baby boomer generation often prioritized work above all else, younger employees place a higher value on leisure time and work-life balance.
There are also differences that can lead to tensions when it comes to loyalty: older employees often stay with the company for longer, while younger employees are more willing to change employers.
2. different communication styles
Every generation has its own way of communicating, be it in person, by phone, email or social media. And it's not just the preferred communication channels that differ; the style - formal/less formal - can also vary between generations.
3. different ways of dealing with technological change
Members of younger generations have often grown up with the latest technologies and may have a better understanding of how they can be used in companies. Older employees, on the other hand, may be less familiar with new technologies and more skeptical about change. Conflicts can arise, for example, when new technologies are introduced or working methods are changed.
4. different expectations of leadership styles
Generations may have different expectations of the hierarchy and management style in a company. Younger employees may prefer flatter hierarchies, open communication and more participation, while older employees may prefer a clearer hierarchy and more authoritarian leadership.
What does a generation manager do?
Generation managers ensure that relevant knowledge for the company's development is secured within the company. They help employees to better understand each other and their differences, e.g. in terms of mentality, age and individual attitudes to work and career.
1. identify mentalities and attitudes
As a first step, every generation manager should look into the respective mentalities and attitudes of the age-generative teams in order to better assess their attitude towards performance and self-realization.
2. recognize unconscious prejudices
The second step is to transform unconscious prejudices and divisive bias into a trusting and successful collaboration. This means ensuring that employees approach each other even more and that the strengths of individual generations are better recognized and utilized so that every age group in the team feels equally valued.
3. recruiting and target group-oriented communication
Generation managers also deal intensively with the topic of recruiting. How should job advertisements be formulated? How do we attract baby boomers who are already toying with retirement and young people from Generation Z? Benefits that match the interests of the different generations also play an important role. Target group-oriented communication and the question of which target group is reached via which channels is also an important topic.
4. develop strategies for inclusion
Generation managers also look at the status quo, the company's current branding, structures, benefits and corporate communications. From this, tailored strategies for inclusion are developed in order to implement a changed mindset for process-oriented thinking, successfully attract and retain the necessary personnel and create modern framework conditions so that people of all ages can develop and feel safe at work.
Who can become a generation manager?
The training is aimed at employees from a wide range of companies who want to successfully mediate between the generations: This includes HR experts, managers, social workers, works councils, HR managers and employees who are concerned about diversity and personnel development.
What does the "GenIHK" certification course offer?
A certification course with the pme Familienservice offers practical methods for successfully implementing what you have learned. You have the opportunity to develop an individual concept for your company and benefit from expert exchange and close support.
Joint exchange opportunities and flexible working methods such as online meetings and self-study for self-reflection enable effective learning that can be easily integrated into everyday working life.
A certification course with the IHK offers a recognized qualification that is practice-oriented and directly tailored to the requirements of the job market. The course provides you with relevant skills and knowledge that can improve your career opportunities. It also offers the opportunity to build valuable networks and keep your knowledge up to date.
An IHK certificate signals credibility and trust and strengthens your professional image towards potential employers, customers and business partners.
Structure of the certification course for generation managers
The training course comprises a total of 50 teaching units, of which 8 units are reserved for self-study and can be completed flexibly.
The remaining 42 teaching units will be held online, but in the form of live events taking place over a period of 3 weeks on Mondays and Tuesdays. Each of these online meetings lasts from 9 am to 4 pm.
The training also includes e-learning modules. During these modules, the self-study time amounts to a total of 8 hours.
Within this framework, four days are scheduled for live units, which are conducted digitally in the form of dialog-oriented webinars. In between, the participants work independently on the basic thematic knowledge in suitable e-learning modules, which present the content in a clear audiovisual way and deepen it in interactive exercises.
In the live units, what has been learned is then reflected on and discussed in the context of the respective company in order to promote practical application. This digital format not only enables efficient and uncomplicated access to the learning materials, but also promotes a lively exchange between the participants. The fifth day can optionally be organized as a face-to-face event and concludes with a standardized test procedure.
The certificates are presented by the IHK after the training.
