Managing and Motivating a Multi-generational Workforce in Early Years and Childcare

In Early Years’ settings up and down the UK you will see multi-generational workplaces. That is wonderful.

If you think about it, hiring and retaining employees from Boomers to Generation Z is exciting as it creates these diverse workplaces where experience and youth comes together.

In order to manage and motivate a multi-generational workforce a number of things need to be given careful consideration if you are to avoid the pitfalls.

1. Where you find candidates. Multi-generational workforces will not always be in the same place looking for new opportunities. Those who are winning at recruiting recognise this and advertise their vacancies where they will be seen by their ideal candidate.
2. How you contract people. If you operate a setting with only full time permanent positions you will miss out on a multi-generational workforce and all the benefits that will bring.
3. How you reward people. Generation Z are said to be motivated by flexibility and Generation Y is interested in worklife balance. You will need to give this some thought in terms of rewards.
4. Attitude to learning. Younger generations have the view that training leads to qualifications and qualifications lead to opportunities. This means they might expect to receive training opportunities and will judge you if they do not. They will expect to move onwards and upwards as a consequence of their efforts. Older generations may see training as a club they don’t need to join. Perhaps they have other responsibilities outside of work such as caring and do not want to let you down.
5. Mentoring others. Younger generations will welcome a buddy/mentor being assigned, older generations may be keen to be that mentor and find it rewarding and giving job satisfaction.
6. How you communicate. Not all generations will thank you for a tech only approach to communication, be prepared to communicate in different ways with different employees. However when it comes to occasions when you want someone to call, speak or otherwise meet with you, please don’t feel the need to allow text, social media message or WhatsApp message as an alternative. Good things happen when we talk.

We hope you have found these ideas useful, if you are keen to learn how to motivate Generation Z you will find our GROW Programme brilliant. Here’s the link to the sales page.