How to Keep Baby Boomer Employees Happy on the Job
While some Baby Boomers are headed into retirement, there are still many who are still in the workforce. Many of them have well-established careers at this stage in life. This means that quite a few hold leadership positions. Or, they may be on the young end of the generation and still have years left to work.
But how can you keep this generation happy in the workplace? And how do you get your employees across all generations to play nice in the sandbox together? Let’s dive in!
Boomer Mindset
Those born between 1946 and 1964 are known as Baby Boomers. They are known for being ambitious, loyal, a bit cynical, and competitive. They also enjoy a bit of recognition from their peers too! Keep in mind that not every Boomer will be like this–everyone is unique, after all! But there was a lot going on in the world during their younger years that helped shape their overall view of things, like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and MLK and the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Now that you know a little about what makes a Boomer tick, let’s take a look at a few ways you can keep them motivated and loving their job.
Challenge Accepted
Appeal to their competitive nature and give them a challenge to work on. They’ll appreciate that you hold them in high enough regard to solve a problem for the company. And they’ll love the recognition they get for a job well done!
Mentor Motivator
One of the biggest conundrums for many companies is how to get several generations to work well together. Boomers seek meaning and balance at work so provide them with opportunities to mentor younger generations. When they share their knowledge and experience, the entire company benefits!
Hello, My Name Is
Providing Boomers with the opportunity to network and attend conferences allows them to connect with peers and further develop their skills and knowledge. To them, it shows you are taking an interest in their professional development.
Decision Maker Extraordinaire
If you have a group project, give your Boomers the lead position on the team. Having to make decisions will motivate them to work harder and give them the peer recognition they crave!
Ladder Rungs
When possible, keep your Boomers in mind for promotions. They tend to be goal-oriented so they’ll work for that prestige. Other things that motivate Boomers can be office size, parking spaces, and a raise.
In All Fairness
Baby Boomers respect employers who have established policies and treat their employees fairly. Their parent’s generation had a strong employee-employer relationship and they have adopted that type of mindset. So if you are fair and loyal to your employees, they’ll be loyal to you.
Flexible Offerings
Many Boomers have pushed back retirement for many different reasons. Some find work fulfilling while others can’t afford retirement. Offer your Boomers flexible schedules (such as part-time work) and a variety of retirement offerings to meet their various needs.
Profile Perfect
One of the best ways to ensure that your multi-generational workforce can get along is to hire employees who fit in with the workplace culture. So how do you find the right person before even offering the job to someone? With Workzinga’s pre-employment assessment, we measure how well job seekers fit with your company culture! Our proprietary assessment is the only one that combines soft skills with personality insights, giving you the best possible match.
