Can you tell me if there are generational differences when it comes to employee engagement? Some people insist that there are, while others say that engagers at work span the generations and are common to them.

What an excellent question! As you suggest, there really is no consensus as to whether different generations need to be treated differently in order to be engaged. So what follows is one person’s opinion.

First, let’s pinpoint what we mean by workplace engagement. Some organizations, such as Gallup, try to measure something that they call ‘intent to stay’, and equate a high score with high levels of engagement. However, this doesn’t separate those employees who intend to stay because they’re engaged from those who are merely stuck.

Staying with Gallup, they also ask survey respondents if they have a best friend at work, and proceed to equate ‘yes’ with high levels of engagement and high intent to stay. I have to scratch my head here, because there’s no way of knowing what an employee might do if the friend were to leave. If I no longer have a best friend at work, am I less engaged? I think there’s more to it than that.

I’ve defined employee engagement as the state of being attracted to the work, committed to doing the work professionally and well, and fascinated with the work. You’ll note that the focus here is on the work and not on a best friend. Workplace engagement is the product of the work itself and the environment in which it is performed.

There are four generations in organizations today. I’m sure you’ve read about them, so I won’t go over old ground here. No matter which generation an employee happens to be in, people generally are engaged by the following:

1. A positive relationship with their manager. This is the biggest single engager there is. A negative perception of the relationship is the biggest disengager. You’ve probably heard that people leave managers, not companies. You heard right.
2. Interesting and challenging work. Most people want to like what they do at work. Yes, I know there are people who just want to do the minimum amount consistent with remaining employed. Is there a reason why you employ people like that?
3. The opportunity to make a difference. Most people want to put their own stamp on something. They want to be able to see their personal contributions. Teamwork is great, but nobody looks in the mirror and sees a team. The work needs to be personally rewarding and satisfying.
4. Being treated with honesty and respect. I will never cease to be amazed at the extent to which people in workplaces treat each other with dishonesty and disrespect. I shudder to think what hidden needs are driving this behaviour. Needless to say, it’s very disengaging.
5. Tools and equipment that work properly. People can put up with occasional breakdowns and shortages. It’s the chronic non-functionality and the constant lacks that cause disengagement.
6. Professional performance management, including dealing with poor performers. Surveys of employee populations indicate over and over again negative reactions to ‘performance management’. I believe that this refers to the practice of inflating performance ratings and the failure to deal with problem performers. When good performers see that nothing is being done about colleagues who aren’t performing to standard, they disengage.
7. Opportunities to learn and grow. People recognize that the world is changing at ever-increasing velocity, and they know that they need to keep up. They expect their employers to help them with this. I say ‘expect’ because for employees this is not a ‘nice to have’ but a must.

Staying with broad generalizations, there are some generational differences. Broadly speaking, older workers respond positively to structure: regular hours, specific job duties, etc. Younger people like more flexibility in when, where, and how they get their work done. Older people are accustomed to going long stretches without getting any performance feedback, so they don’t need as much as younger workers, who have grown up with lots of feedback and recognition.

I hope this helps to clarify that most engagers are common to all generations.

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Tim Rutledge, Ph.D., is a veteran human resources consultant and publisher of Mattanie Press. You can contact him at tim_rutledge@sympatico.ca or visit www.gettingengaged.ca.

Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.