Managing a 4-generation workplace

HR teams are facing cross-generational tensions, but the solution might be a simple one, according to one communications expert.

Longer careers and economic pressures have resulted in an unprecedented four-generation workplace, and according to global data, it is both costly and fraught.

Research conducted in January by Salesloft revealed that generational conflict cost American businesses US$56 billion in lost productivity.

Vikki Maver, founder of the Communication Skills Academy, highlighted that Baby Boomers (61+), Gen X (45–60), Millennials (29–44) and Gen Z (<29) all bring different expectations and values to the workplace, meaning “today’s leaders can’t rely on unspoken rules around tone, responsiveness and what ‘professional’ looks like”.

Mental health, hierarchy structures, and work/life balance are some of the drivers of division, as are generational assumptions – Salesloft findings also revealed that while 71 per cent of Gen Z believe older generations value hours over outcomes, 64 per cent of Boomers find Gen Z prioritises work/life balance over the business.

Maver also identified hybrid work as an accelerant of ambiguity, in which capability gaps and breakdowns become more of an issue.

According to Maver, however, “different generations aren’t difficult, they’re operating with completely different assumptions about tone, feedback, platforms and boundaries”.

What is often seen as a value or attitude challenge, she explained, “is usually a communication capability gap”, suggesting the solution lies in targeting this divide rather than attempting to mitigate ingrained and common generational differences that are to be expected when employees in their early 20s to their 60s are working together.

Maver urged HR managers to “stop treating communication as an assumed competency”.

Communication training, she highlighted, “gives leaders (and their team) tools and frameworks for alignment and accountability”.

She said: “Without it, organisations promote technical capability – but leave people skills to chance. By building shared communication norms, teams list trust, productivity and cohesion across generations.”

Commonality in communication and developing strategies will also bridge the “slang” gap as identified in a recent research, which found that despite one in three Australian workers believing younger employees should limit slang at work, Baby Boomers were shown to be the highest users of workplace slang.

“Assess where capability gaps exist and where breakdowns occur. Second, equip teams with the skills to have clear, respectful conversations before frustrations turn corrosive. Communication capability is one of the most effective risk-management tools HR teams have,” Maver said.

Maver concluded with the acknowledgement that it can be easy and tempting to stereotype generations, but that “only deepens division”.

“The focus should be on shared standards and capability-building. When expectations are clear and feedback is consistent, performance improves across age groups. Communication is the lever HR can pull immediately - it’s the system that underpins what modern workplaces depend on.”