The Perfect Workplace: A Blend of Generations

It used to be, someone over the age of 65 still punching into work each morning was a rarity.

These days, as more Americans work well past their retirement age, however, the typical workplace is more likely than ever to have multiple generations from college interns and entry-level twenty-somethings to mid-level managers and well-seasoned veterans prepping for retirement.

With that many goals, ambitions and egos all in one place, it begs the question: How do these vastly different generations see one another and how can they work together to get the job done?

The trick, say those who work in businesses with several age groups, is recognizing that each generation has its own unique traits.

Martin Cooper, 65, works with a variety of ages at his Encino marketing firm, Cooper Beavers, where the average age is 30. He said the current younger generation has vastly different characteristics than that of workers just a generation ago from lacking strong writing skills to balking at extensive overtime.

“Twenty-five years ago, young people were willing to work 14 hours a day, whatever it took to get ahead in business and to impress the boss,” he said. “Today, that is much less prevalent. Young people are much more focused on their personal and private lives.”

Brad Rosenheim, a principal with the Woodland Hills planning and land use firm Rosenheim