Is your boss younger than you?
As more and more Millennials enter the work force, it is inevitable that some will be promoted to management positions, perhaps as supervisors of veteran employees. Reporting to someone with fewer years of experience—who also happens to be a generation or two younger than you—may be a new experience for many of us.
As Millennials become the predominant generation in the workforce (36 percent of the current workforce and 46 percent by 2020), we will see older workers reporting to younger managers more often. A national survey conducted by Harris Interactive in May 2012, on behalf of CareerBuilder, found that just over one-third of workers reported their boss was younger than they were, and 15 percent noted the age difference was at least 10 years. That was nearly two years ago, so the percentages have most likely risen since then.
Companies are eager to find new ideas and make better use of the latest technology. To do so, they are deploying their younger employees into management and leadership positions. Baby Boomers will eventually retire, and companies are hiring managers who will be there for the long haul.
With changing workplace demographics, more and more Baby Boomers and Generation Xers will find themselves with a younger boss. Combine the older generation’s resentment of being told what to do by someone with a lot less experience, and a younger supervisor’s lack of managerial experience, and you’ve created a condition for workplace volatility.
This arrangement of younger employees supervising older workers can cause friction especially when an older employee perceives that they should have been the one to be promoted. Although this can be an awkward situation for both supervisor and employee, the situation can work and be mutually beneficial.
I’ve talked with a few younger managers in the field (who I promised not to identify) who found themselves in just such a situation. They provide some insight into how to make such a reporting relationship work.
When asked what one thing drove younger managers nuts when dealing with older reports, one answered, “They assume that I can’t know as much as they do, or I don’t understand the business or the industry, because I’m young. I have to spend time proving myself with older reports. With those my age, I can just state my issue and they believe I know what I’m talking about. With older workers, I need to document and show where I got my information before they
will believe me.”
Older workers take notice; don’t make assumptions on the knowledge level of your supervisor based on age. If you believe they need a little more information, provide it to them in a way that does not make them look bad.
Everyone agreed that both managers and employees should do their best to try and take age out of the equation—both old and young were hired for a reason and both have lots to offer. Younger managers tend to use technology to find information quickly and are typically well-versed in social media. Veteran employees can supply valuable knowledge of how to deal with corporate culture and organizational issues. Learn from each other.
When asked for an example of what he did to overcome an issue with an older employee, the following example of compromising when needed was shared. It concerned a filing system. Rather than a straight alphabetical system, the seasoned employee had developed a system that used three separate groupings, each of which was alphabetical. The system made sense to her, but her manager could not find files when he needed them.
The manager talked with staff about how this three-group system evolved. The system had worked at the time it was established but both agreed it was no longer useful. Rather than demand a change right then, the young manager compromised and agreed to ask the employee for files when needed. Since discussion determined the system was no longer useful, manager and employee agreed to have an alphabetical system by year-end, and the seasoned employee was allowed to change over at her own pace. The younger manager offered this piece of advice, “If you are really good at change management, managing older employees will be easy. If you want someone to change, give them a reason to do so.”
Regardless of age, every manager needs to set goals and hold employees accountable. Rather than looking at managing an “older” employee, look at it as managing someone who is in a different place in the continuum of their work life. If an employee is farther along than you in their career path, treat that person as an expert in the field and make him or her feel good about what that employee brings to the table.
Other advice that came up was that regardless of age, managers and their reports need to get to know each other as people. You’ll find things you have in common: hobbies, pets, sports teams, etc. Additionally, do not assume everyone is the same. Everyone learns differently and has their own strengths and weaknesses and their own way of doing things.
A younger manager offered this piece of advice to seasoned employees: “Speak up. If you’ve been in your position for a while, you probably have something you would like to see changed. Give your suggestions to your younger manager. Younger people are less afraid of change. You might get the change you wanted and your younger manager will see you in a new light.”
Although it may not be easy, working for a younger manager can turn into a learning opportunity for both sides. It may just take a little time to work out the bugs.
Mary Jawgiel is ICP program director for the PTDA Foundation and manages the ICP Job Board at http://jobs.idcareers.org. Mary’s life-long passion has been working with young people. Industrial Careers Pathway (ICP) is a cross-industry initiative supported by ASA, the ISA Foundation, NAHAD: The Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution and the PTDA Foundation. For more insights on recruiting, hiring and training Millennials in the distribution industry subscribe to the ICP Talent Tipsheet at www.industrialcareerspathway.org/tipsheet.
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2014 issue of Industrial Supply magazine. Copyright 2014, Direct Business Media.
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