Use cases / Business services firm
Client case
Deepler Research · Continuous listening
Generational differences in the workplace: needs per generation in view
A business services firm has four generations at work, from recent graduates to experienced colleagues who have been there for decades. Its HR policy was the same for everyone, but the signals from the teams pointed in different directions. With Deepler Research, the organisation mapped generational differences in the workplace, using filters at generation level.
Sector
Business services
Target group
All employees
Solution
Deepler Research
Application
Generational differences
In brief
The question
What do different generations need to work well?
The insight
The differences lie mainly in development and recognition.
The result
HR policy that fits every generation.
The question: does one policy work for all generations?
Younger employees asked for more feedback and faster progression. Experienced colleagues said their knowledge was not used enough. HR heard the signals, but did not know how widely they were shared. Was it a few loud voices, or real differences between generations?
The approach: one survey, results per generation
All employees filled in the same questionnaire on topics such as development, workload, flexibility and recognition. In Deepler Research, HR filtered the results by generation. Results were only shown with sufficient responses per group, so nobody could be identified. The most striking differences were then discussed in mixed groups of employees.
Filter by generation
Results per age group
Anonymity protected
Only visible with enough responses
Interpret in conversation
Mixed groups discuss the differences
The insight: differences in development and recognition
On flexibility and workload, the generations were closer together than expected. The big differences lay elsewhere. Younger employees scored low on development: they missed feedback and a view of progression. Older employees scored low on recognition: they felt their experience was not valued enough.
Satisfaction per theme and generation
Gen Z misses development, the oldest generations miss recognition.
Illustrative view
The result: a policy that fits every generation
The organisation kept one shared policy, but applied it in a more targeted way. Starters get fixed feedback moments and a visible development path. Experienced employees are deployed as mentors and knowledge holders. That way the generations strengthen each other, instead of working past each other.
- Needs per generation backed by data
- Targeted actions on development and recognition
- Generations strengthening each other as mentor and starter
Generations in the workplace: three lessons
What this organisation learned about working with different generations:
Look at similarities too
Not every difference you expect is really there.
Protect anonymity
Only filter on groups that are large enough.
Translate into policy together
Let generations interpret the results together.
Read more about Deepler Research, or see how a healthcare organisation discusses its employee satisfaction survey per team.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about generational differences in the workplace
Which generations are there in the workplace?
A distinction is often made between baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z. The boundaries are not sharp, so use them as a tool rather than a label.
How do you map needs per generation?
With one questionnaire for everyone and results you can filter by generation. That way you compare groups on the same themes.
How do you protect anonymity when filtering by age?
By only showing results when a group is large enough. If a group is too small, you combine age groups.
Are generational differences not mostly stereotypes?
Sometimes they are. That is exactly why data helps: you see where differences really exist and where they are smaller than assumed.
Can you filter on other characteristics in Deepler Research?
Yes. Besides generation, you can filter by department, location or type of contract, for example, as long as the groups are large enough.