Smart-proof workplace

How to smart-proof your workplace for future generations

May 14, 2020 | By Charissa Mitsikas-Beasley, Vitil People Solutions

Do you have human resource gold within your Perth business that you are not utilising? How can you leverage your human capital, not only the younger generation but also your baby boomer workforce?

“Respect your elders!” We all grew up hearing these words and understood them to mean that the older we are, the wiser we become. This is in fact true for many of us charting our way through various careers, or career changes, in an attempt to upskill and retrain our minds to think differently.

It may be that we are chasing the pinnacle of achievement in your particular Perth industry or perhaps we want a diverse set of experiences and technical skills to open different pathways and take us off a linear course.

Whatever it means to you, the underlying concept here is that age = wisdom. If we transfer this to the workplace, in the position of either business owner or employee, it is important to not overlook the critical impact of experience and ongoing training in any organisation for your human capital.

If you have the benefit of the baby boomer generation in your employee pool, then you must acknowledge and look to leverage off this pot of gold. Skills that were learned in a very different environment to the tech generation we are now in, are almost impossible to blueprint or translate into present day inductions or handovers.

This is purely based on the fact that the experience of a baby boomer is a legacy piece in a career path that essentially builds from one steppingstone to another. If your baby boomer employees are in leadership positions, it is beneficial to ensure they share their knowledge and practical application of this, in a way that is easily understood and translated by the Gen X and Gen Y crew.

This will ensure that the 'story' your business tells is one that will continue to be ongoing and organic in its growth, without being impacted negatively by change in the market, in technology or in the cultural vision and values you build your business strategy from.

Training is an essential factor in this translation of skill and knowledge. If you have an ageing workforce in your organisation, then how the learning and development opportunities look for your employee pool, might need to be catered to that particular generation.

Your baby boomers might respond well to face-to-face group training facilitated and led by a consultant endorsed by the business but who is adequately at arms-length to ensure credibility and market-relevance. For your Gen X and Gen Y employees, the online e-learning platform might speak more to their strengths and their comfort zone.

Agility is the final piece of the 'smart-proof' puzzle. Organisations that are agile and flexible in their approach to not only know how they create their revenue and brand their business; but also in how they recruit and retain their staff, are the ones that stand the test of time.

To smart-proof your workplace, see the gold you have in those who not only come with new ideas and new system approaches and technology, but in those who have been around for both the internal and external changes (organisational and social) – as this breadth of experience will give you the smarts to ensure your product or brand or service is one that remains relevant and competitive for the foreseeable future.

Vitil Outsourced Human Resources Consultants

Vitil People Solutions is a boutique HR consulting firm based across Perth, who offer flexible, reliable and affordable outsourced human resource support, people solutions and recruitment services, where your team is the key focus. By outsourcing HR to an expert in Human Resource Services, our experienced professionals can objectively assess your environment, your human capital needs, and ensure we provide advice and support to further develop your team and your businesses performance.

Contact us to discuss tailoring HR solutions to your business needs.

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