Aging in Iowa: Companies manage youth, experience

CEDAR RAPIDS - America's work force is getting older, a trend that is not going to slow down any time soon.

From 1992 to 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of the work force aged 55 and over increased from 11.8 percent to 20.9 percent.

By 2022, one-fourth of American workers are expected to be over 55.

In the past, older workers would be thinking of retirement. But more of them are putting that off, whether for financial reasons or because they want to stay busy.

The Gazette ran a story on Nov. 2, as part of the Aging in Iowa series, that spoke with those over 65 who said retirement isn't for them.

At the same time, businesses in Iowa are working hard to retain younger employees who may be prone to leave for bigger cities.

For employers, that means thinking about how to accommodate a work force with the varying needs and expectations of generations ranging from recent college graduates to people who, in some circumstances, are old enough to be their grandparents.

They include millennials, born between 1980 and 1995, Gen-Xers, born between 1965 and 1979, baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, and 'Traditionalists,” born before 1946. In a few years, the next generation - whom some are calling 'generation edge” - will start graduating from college.

The exact years and monikers assigned to each generation can vary depending on the source - these are the ones used by Bridgeworks, a Minnesota-based company that trains businesses and organizations to navigate the challenges of multigenerational work forces. Some of his officials spoke at the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance's Next Gen. summit last year.

Employees of different generations might see things such as working remotely and what levels of formality are appropriate differently, said Scott Zimmer, a Bridgeworks keynote speaker and generational expert.

But he noted that successful companies will look for ways to understand and harness the strengths of each generation.

'This isn't about right or wrong, it isn't about better or worse, it's about understanding each generation brings something to the table,” he said.

That's a philosophy many Corridor companies are trying to embrace, said DaLayne Williamson, work force business services director at the Iowa City Area Development Group.

'It has become a much bigger topic among employers,” she said.

She said the topic of multigenerational workplaces is just one piece of a puzzle for employers trying to build more inclusive and diverse workplaces - whether that diversity refers to age, race, religion or other areas.

'It comes down to having a welcoming work environment for whatever employee you have in front of you,” Williamson said.

Many companies have gone so far as formalizing efforts to address the topic of multigenerational work forces. Cedar Rapids's largest employer, Rockwell Collins, with some 8,700 employees, has in the past offered an instructor-led training course focused on managing diverse work groups. The topics covered in the course are now being integrated into a number of the company's leadership development courses, said Pam Tvrdy-Cleary, Rockwell Collins media relations manager.

Medium-sized companies such as MidWestOne Bank, based in Iowa City, also are addressing their age-diverse work force.

'We've certainly got baby boomers and millennials and other generations where we see challenges and we see strengths,” said Sondra Harney, MidWestOne senior vice president and director of human resources.

She said the company is working to formalize a mentoring program to foster communication between younger and older employees. Informal mentoring has been part of company culture for the past several years.

'We've really recognized the value with mentoring and reverse mentoring,” she said.

The company wants to make sure both knowledge and skills of older employees and innovation and ideas from younger employees are part of conversations, she added.

'Millennials have a terrific ability to help mentor our baby boomers in understanding technology and social media and the value they bring to how we do our work,” she said. 'And with our baby boomers, that institutional knowledge is something we really recognize and want to capitalize on with our young professionals.”

Ed Benjamin, MidWestOne vice president of credit administration, mentors two of his younger employees, ages 22 and 26. At 44, he's sandwiched between the bank's oldest and youngest employees.

Last year, he attended a company leadership institute in which one of the topics was managing different generations. It was invaluable information, he recalled.

'You have to adapt your management style to a younger person or an older person's skill sets and abilities,” he said. 'You have to be cognizant of people's time and interests.”

Being aware of people's time and interests is really what it comes down to, Zimmer said.

'We're talking about people at the end of the day,” he said. 'Every generation, every person wants to feel understood. It's about finding that common middle ground and what motivates each generation.”