Generational tensions simmer beneath the veneer of modern workplaces, subtly eroding productivity and stifling collaboration. The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), in tandem with global consulting titan Protiviti, delve into the nuances of intergenerational dynamics in a new report.

The Age Factor: A Productivity Paradox

In the ever-evolving landscape of modern workspaces, age disparities between employees and their managers emerge as silent detractors of productivity. The survey of 1,450 professionals across finance, technology, and professional services in the UK and USA reveals a stark reality: Employees significantly younger than their supervisors lament lower productivity levels, attributing this malaise to a palpable lack of cross-generational cohesion. That’s the same, be you in forex , trading, payments or more.

The key findings were:

1. 25% of employees self-reported low productivity

2. Low levels of productivity were reported by 37% of Gen Z, 30% of Millennials, 22% of Gen X, and 14% of Baby Boomers

3. Employees with larger age gaps with their managers reported lower productivity. Those with managers more than 12 years their senior are nearly 1.5 times as likely to report low productivity

4. Generations agree on the skills that are most important to productivity and career advancement. The top 3 skills being: active listening, time-management and judgement and decision making.

Generational Dissonance

A profound revelation emerges from the research: employees trying to bridge considerable age gaps with their managers feel that they’re suffering from reduced productivity. Those trailing managers by over a dozen years find themselves grappling with productivity blues, nearly one and a half times more frequently than their counterparts who are closer in age to their supervisors.

Skills Set: A Unified Vision for Progress

Across generational divides, a consensus emerges on the skills required to be productive: Active listening, time management, and the art of judgement and decision-making. Despite varying perspectives, the generations agree that these pivotal skills are vital, perhaps created a blueprint with which to solve the problem.

Navigating the Multigenerational Maze

As the global workforce becomes ever more age diverse, organizations will come to a pivotal juncture. The imperative lies in fostering inclusivity across the workforce, propelling productivity to new heights. Firms championing intergenerationally inclusive practices are witnessing a meteoric rise in productivity, especially among younger cohorts, according to the study.

Towards a Productive Future

Amidst forecasts of sluggish economic growth, the onus falls on organizations to unlock the latent productivity potential residing within their multigenerational cohorts. Dr. Grace Lordan, spearheading the research, had the following to say, “I am not surprised that we discovered a ‘productivity manager age gap’. There is good evidence that across generations individuals have different tastes and preferences. So why do we expect them to work easily together? We now have five generations working together in the workplace and the skills that are required to manage these dynamics are not usually being taught by firms. Our research shows that if we invest in giving these skills to managers, and creating an intergenerationally inclusive workplaces there are significant productivity gains to be had.”

Time for a sit-down and a chat, we think. Or perhaps we all just go remote...