Having workers of different ages across your company can provide a whole host of productivity benefits for your business. It also helps you create a more inclusive environment and generally uplifts the vibe within your office or worksite. Want more specific examples? Read on:
Different Perspectives
One of the main benefits of diversity and inclusion in Aussie workplaces is that each team member brings their own unique perspective to tasks and situations. This means you’ll have a range of lived experiences and ideas to draw from at any given time. Armed with this abundance of life experience, you’ll be well-equipped to combat any issues that may arise, coming up with new and innovative ways to take your business to the next level.
Broader Skill Sets
Another benefit of having workers of all different ages throughout your organisation is that you’ll be able to access broader skill sets. Even when staff members have trained in the same field, you’ll find that they have been taught different skills depending on when they got their degrees.
Older marketing personnel, for example, will probably be trained in more traditional communication methods such as direct mail and print media. Younger marketing experts, on the other hand, will often have had a much more digital focus during their degrees. This is obviously a generalisation as people of all ages can up-skill, re-skill and cross-skill easily enough. However, even the different educational environments that they studied in can tailor their approach to things. So it’s still true to say that age diversity will bring you a beautifully broad palette of valuable skill sets.
Better Connections
You will probably find that a diverse age range throughout your organisation leads to better connections between team members. While it may seem logical that people will get along better with those who are of a similar age, this isn’t always the case.
Indeed, you may find that significant differences in age can lead to informal mentorships that benefit your business as much as they do your team members. The relationship between a mentor and mentee is a special one, and with age diversity in the workplace, you’ve got an inbuilt program that can assist in establishing these types of connections.
Solid Succession Plans
One of the main reasons people cite for leaving a company is that they felt that there was no progression for them in their role. By having a diverse range of ages throughout your organisation, you’ll be able to help new junior staff see that there is a clear track for promotion within the company. While this will obviously depend on their performance, being able to see that people have chosen to stay with your company for a long time because of internal opportunities will make it a far more desirable place to work.
The Exact Mix of Talent Your Business Needs
Finally, while some companies may be wary of hiring staff who are brand new to the workforce, this can actually provide significant opportunities for both the new employee and your business. This is because you can train them to be experts in the exact areas your company needs, which gives you a tailored employee fit for career advancement within your business.
Age diversity in the workplace can help both your business and your employees build brighter futures. By working together across generations, staff can learn to look at things in different ways and come up with solutions they may not have thought of otherwise. And that truly is invaluable.
Photo: Yan Krukau / Pexles