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Generational Interaction in the Workplace According to a Lee Hecht Harrison survey, more than 60 percent of employers are experiencing tension between employees from different generations.The survey found that more than 70 percent of older employees are dismissive of younger workers’ abilities, and nearly 50 percent of younger employees are dismissive of their older colleagues’ abilities. The generational tension is a result of different historical experiences and attitudes (Figure 5). Each generation was influenced by the same factors; however, each generation experienced these factors differently. For example, traditionalists and many baby boomers grew up before the civil rights movement while Generation X and millennials grew up after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, thereby shaping their views on race, religion and gender. How the generations experienced such events affects their perceptions of commitment, company loyalty, task management, project execution and professional development. Cultural differences also influence the characteristics and attitudes of individuals in the workplace. For example, new Americans and permanent residents may have different business etiquettes than natural-born Americans in the same generation.These groups may differ in communication styles, their attitudes toward management and organizational hierarchies, and how they value time in the workplace and cope with work volume. Regardless of the factors impacting generational dynamics in the workplace, a standard level of professionalism in the health care industry is expected of every employee.This ranges from ethical standards of clinical practice that are embedded in licensing requirements to U.S. laws that protect patient privacy, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Figure 5: Factors of Diversity

Source: AHA CPI, 2014.

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Managing an IntergenerationalWorkforce: Strategies for Health Care Transformation