Services company Sodexo Ireland hosted a generations diversity event at All-Hallows College in Drumcondra, Dublin, aimed at helping staff understand the personal and professional development of different generations.
At the 'Talking 'Bout Generations' event Clare Mulligan, a Work and Organisational Psychologist specialising in intergenerational differences said the inability to attract Generation Y workers could leave some companies very vulnerable.
Different generations (Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y) have different expectations and experience in the workplace and it is important for companies to be aware of this in order to attract younger talent, said Mulligan.
“We are starting to see the effects of the demographic shift in our workforces, for example in most OECD countries more people are leaving our workforces than joining them. A lot of organisations that haven’t recruited for the last decade are facing knowledge gaps as staff leave without enough younger generations to pass on their knowledge and experience to.”
Sodexo's award-winning 'Generations' employee network focuses on six key areas – generations, gender, sexual orientation, culture and origins, disability and inclusion. Staff are encouraged to recognise how someone's generation can influence their views and values.
Margot Slattery, country president, Sodexo Ireland, said, “The differences between generations can lead to misunderstanding and miscommunication but if we raise awareness of those differences and harness people’s individuality, it can have a huge impact on the way we work together and help us perform better as a business."
Attendees at the workshop in All Hallows acted out a 'GenMatch' game, designed to allow local managers to introduce their teams to the subject of generational differences in an informal, fun way.
