Diversity And Inclusion – Age – The Silver Generation
By Raquel Flanzbaum.
It is known that age is a very important factor when assessing inclusion in organizations. A lot has been said, and a lot will be said, about the generations that coexist in the labor market today: from baby boomers to centennials (or generation Z), each with its own features.
it is also known that the study of the inclusion of different generations in a work environment is not an exact science. On the contrary: the characteristics of each generation and its limits (where one ends and another begins), will always be somewhat diffuse and will depend, to a large extent, not only on the personal and family history of each member (determining in turn their economic and educational possibilities), but on personal or collective events that could not have been foreseen, beyond the place or date of birth.
In this diverse and at the same time uncertain context, we wonder if the search for job stability that characterized the baby boomers yielded as a direct result the experience that today singles out the silver generation.
The answer is that this is not necessarily so, because the work course of each person is neither more nor less than that: a personal, individual path, naturally crisscrossed, over the years, by a myriad of family and social situations (for example, the pandemic, which marked a significant change in intra-family organization and therefore at the working place).
In any case, each generation (whichever it is, X, Y or Z) makes its contribution to an organization, and it is also clear that the combination of all of them translates into diversity and inclusion.
A correct management of diversity by the age factor in an organization cannot do without the silver generation because it brings the perseverance, patience, solidity, and resilience that a changing and often hostile world requires. Precisely because of these characteristics, this generation has the enormous capacity to train, guide and teach the younger generations, as the backbone of organizations that base the professional development of their associates with a mentoring system where the most experienced help those with less experience to travel their own unique and non-transferable professional path.
The truth be told: the so-called “blind hiring” is a fundamental tool to give the space that corresponds to this generation, since it reflects non-discrimination, for no reason, and age, of course, is not and should not be an element that interferes in a job interview.
It is clear that the silver generation, according to the wonderful characteristics that distinguish it, is a fundamental component not only for the cohesion of teams or organizations but as a beacon that guides them in the sometimes-difficult world of work. *
* Ojam Bullrich Flanzbaum has been awarded the GREAT PLACE TO WORK™ SILVER GENERATION 2023 AWARD, ranked no. 5 (SME segment), positioning the firm as one of the best places to work in Argentina.
For further information please contact: rflanzbaum@ojambf.com
