Baby Boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964. Today, they make up some of the older people in the workforce, and they’re also the group with some of the most experience and knowledge available to those in the workplace today.
Unfortunately, many companies are fixated on hiring younger, less expensive talent; those who are technology savvy and who possess more recent qualifications. However, what some employers forget is that true knowledge comes with experience, which is something most baby boomers have in spades.
While younger generations may bring a high level of enthusiasm to the workplace combined with understanding of recent technology, they can benefit immensely from the experience and knowledge of those who have been in the job for years.
Many baby boomers find themselves in middle age with less enthusiasm for their work, and uncertainty of the direction they want to take in life. Many feel they are being surpassed by younger colleagues, and feel uncertain about their jobs and careers. However, the vast majority still have a lot to offer, and employers can help baby boomers reach their full potential by encouraging mentor programs where baby boomers work with younger colleagues to help them gain a greater understanding and knowledge of their workplace.
In order for mentoring programs to be successful, companies have to recognise the value of such programs, and be willing to make the most of them. There are vast gaps between the knowledge of newer employees and the experience of older employees. Many young employees come fresh out of college with plenty of enthusiasm, but soon find themselves feeling disenchanted with their jobs. This often occurs because while they may have plenty of book-derived knowledge, they lack full understanding of their job responsibilities and can’t find a way of meshing what they know with the job they’re expected to perform.
Unfortunately, many employers and managers throw new employees in the deep end, quite forgetting what it’s like to be completely knew to a job position, and expecting their new employees to go with the flow and pick things up. The fact is, employees who feel they are being left to sink or swim in their organisation move on to other opportunities as soon as they can, in the search for a more supportive environment. Studies have shown that the average person between the ages of 30 and 44 has had up to ten different job positions!
One way of keeping young and inexperienced employees and utilising their talents fully, is to introduce a mentoring program where baby boomer employees with years of job experience are given the opportunity of working closely with new employees to pass on their wisdom. Not only can they assist younger employees in understanding more about their job role, but they can also offer sage career advice from their own experience.
Studies done on organisations with mentoring programs have demonstrated a positive correlation between quality mentoring and an increase in productivity and employee retention, as well as job satisfaction. However, effective mentoring does require a great deal of time commitment and clear guidelines on how it should work.
When an employee becomes a mentor, there needs to be an understanding that mentoring will take time away from that employee’s usual responsibilities. A good mentor can’t spend hours each week mentoring while carrying the full load of their previous work. For this reason, the responsibilities of the mentor must change so that they have enough time to make mentoring a priority.
Mentoring isn’t for everyone, however! Not every baby boomer employee will make a good mentor. Ideally, people should be given the option to become mentors or not, as some people find it easier to teach and guide new employees than others. It’s also important to choose the right mentor for the right employee. If mentors are to be expected to work closely with one or more new employees, it helps if their personalities are a good fit, and that they’ll feel comfortable working together.
As much as younger employees benefit from working with older employees, many older employees who become mentors find the relationships beneficial as well. Many older employees become fixed in their thinking and routine in the way they work, and some are reluctant to embrace newer forms of technology through a lack of understanding of the technology’s benefits. Mentors often find that not only are they able to impart knowledge to their mentees, but they often learn new things themselves.
Mentoring programs also help build a bridge between the generations, giving each generation a new perspective on the other. This assists in workplace cooperation and understanding as younger and older employees who may not have spent much time together in the past get to know each other better and gain a better understanding of the beliefs and values of each group.
Baby boomers who become involved in mentoring programs often find it so enjoyable that they decide to re-structure their careers to take on more of a teaching and mentoring role. This is the sort of role that a person can continue once they retire from formal work. A person of retirement age may appreciate the extra time retirement gives them, but also wants to keep a foot in the workplace. People with forty or more years of work experience have a great deal of valuable knowledge which can, and should, be shared with younger workers.
An organisation who wants to develop a cohesive culture with good employee retention and satisfaction should actively seek to develop baby boomer mentoring programs where older, more experienced employees can help newer employees develop workplace skills which will set them up for life.
