Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Boomers are drifting apart from younger coworkers, and the communications gap could hurt employers going forward. 

The four generations of workers  - Gen Y, Gen X, baby boomers and matures - rarely interact with one another and often do not recognize each other’s skills or work ethic, according to a survey by Randstad, an employment services provider.

The drift, coupled with reduced manpower due to upcoming boomer retirements, means that US businesses risk a shortage of skilled labor if knowledge isn't passed down. And it may be up to Gen X workers, aged 43 to 24, to help close communication gaps between their younger and older colleagues. 

About 51 percent of boomers (aged 44 to 62) and 66 percent of mature workers (over 62) report little to no interaction with younger staff. Additionally, three of the four generations said they have little or no interaction with mature workers, who are often seen as the most experienced.

That's concerning given that Gen Yer's in today’s workforce - the oldest of whom are 23 - outnumber the boomers "who are perceived as retaining the bulk of working America’s institutional brain trust," according to Randstad research.

Before older workers retire, businesses should consider focusing on building professional relationships among staff, while also developing employees’ skills.

Central to this process is encouraging collaboration to achieve company goals, which relies, in part, on employers recognizing individuals' value, cultivating mutual respect and generating trust throughout the organization, according to Randstad.

"... We believe companies that enact a culture of ‘employership’ can successfully navigate the changing workplace, regardless of economic and demographic shifts," said Eric Buntin, a managing director for Randstad.

Office Views
Instilling that type of culture means employers need to have a better understanding of what's important to each generation.

While Gen Y has more "realistic views of the workplace" than it did at the time of the last survey in 2006, Gen X, boomers and matures all place a higher percentage on so-called soft benefits such as flexible schedules and working with people they like.  

The survey showed that each generation sees itself as playing a distinct role in the workplace and, for the most part, employees described the personality of coworkers’ in their same generation positively. Gen X workers, in particular, described coworkers in their cohort as "capable of interacting well with all age groups."

“Based on their self-described generation personality, Gen X has the potential to bridge the generational gap between the youngest and oldest generations of workers,” Buntin said. “Leveraging this knowledge about generational strengths and value is part of employership, and something employers should act on to be a great place to work.”

Gen Y respondents used terms such as "sociable" and "makes personal friends at workplace" to describe workers in their generation. Boomers tended to describe their peers with statements such as "competent," "strong work ethic," and noted an "ability to handle a crisis." For their part, matures were self-described as "confident" and "committed to the company."