'We all want the same things, no matter what generation,' says Ipsos Mori Director

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Baby Boomer or a Millennial, we all want the same basic things at work: “To feel fairly rewarded for what we do, to have opportunities to grow and develop, and to be cared for by our managers,” according to Sean Mills, Executive Director at Ipsos Mori. 

Speaking on the first day of the Employee Benefits Live 2016 annual conference and exhibition, Mills agrees there are differences between generations in the workplace but that getting the basics right is key to engaging staff, no matter what their ages.  

But while this might be true, he says there are ways companies can tailor their approaches to get the best from their younger employees. He talked about personalisation, and how - with the advent of TripAdvisor and Facebook - many of us now expect to receive tailored communication at work. He challenged the audience to consider what data they had within their organisations to give workers a more personalised experience.  

Another example Mills gave was how reverse mentoring can benefit both younger and older generations. He worked with an organisation that paired graduates with senior executives to help the less media-savvy managers develop their social profiles. “The challenge is convincing the older generation that they can learn valuable lessons from the younger ones,” he said. “But all participants got a lot out of the experience.”