With the way that technology has leapt forward in the past few decades, generational issues are growing more and more pronounced. Not only do you have cultural differences to deal with when you have a diverse workforce, but you also have to think about technological barriers. If you really want to make sure that everyone, from baby boomers to millennials, can work together, keep these things in mind.

Try to Involve Everyone

A big part of the reason why people feel alienated is simply because they are part of a group that is not being given equal consideration. Older workers may rely on experience and knowledge, while younger workers focus on being innovative and coming up with new ways to do things, seeing as how they lack that experience. Successful companies need to balance both of these aspects, and neither group should get preference over the other. Clearly indicate that input from both sides is valued equally so that all members of the team feel that they can contribute.

The Simplest Solution is Often the Best

Much of the time, keeping things simple is the best plan for a meeting that everyone enjoys. Do not depend too much on older or newer technologies. For example, having a meeting on Skype so that no one has to leave the office may sound easy, but it can grow complicated for older workers in a hurry. Why not just stick with older tactics of having everyone meet in a central meeting room when possible? This breeds a sense of company community, and it eliminates a lot of the hurdles that you could otherwise face.

Focus on Understanding

To some degree, you must simply realize that older and younger generations are never going to see eye-to-eye on everything. They are always going to have different viewpoints. You need to focus on bridging that gap instead of pretending it does not exist. If you can get each side to understand where the other is coming from and create an atmosphere of understanding and cooperation, cultural differences and age differences are going to mean a lot less. Focus on strengths and how people can work together. Do not focus on differences and things that are holding you back.

Hiring and retaining top talent is crucial to the success of any achievement-oriented organization. Corporate leaders, including HR managers and professionals, understand the staggering cost of employee turnover. Many companies are forced to endure turnover rates in excess of 60 percent every four years. Needless to say, the loss of talented executives, managers and rising stars can make it nearly impossible for a business to accomplish strategic objectives.

Career Development

Employee retention should begin even before the hiring process begins. It’s important to identify the employee characteristics that best fit the organization and position in question. Extensive discussions with executives and managers, exit interviews and regular conversations with current employees can help establish a strategy for making successful hires.

Although it’s true that talented employees are typically interested in furthering their career goals, it should not be assumed that compensation is the only reward they have in mind. Many talented employees move on simply because they’re frustrated with management or they perceive that the company doesn’t offer a realistic path for career advancement. Every HR recruiter should be aware of the career opportunities that may be available to prospective employees.

Achievement and Advancement

Talented employees are more likely to stay with a company that demonstrates an interest in their career goals. Constant communication at every level of an organization is the only way to avoid unexpected resignations. Every level of leadership should emphasize the implementation of a professional development program that includes the career objectives of future leaders. The importance of related training and development for managers and executives cannot be overemphasized.

The career goals of one talented employee may be quite different from that of another high achiever. It’s vital that the leadership of a company create the conditions necessary to prompt an employee to strive for success. While one employee has a desire to occupy the office of a high-level executive, another high achiever may only be interested in high-stakes commission checks. Ambitious employees can’t stand failure. It’s only natural that they keep their future prospects in mind. A professional HR department does everything possible to allow talented employees to reach their highest potential.

The purpose of workforce planning is to align a company’s workforce objectives with the strategic objectives and priorities of the organization as a whole. It identifies current and future workforce capabilities and provides solutions to meet any deficiencies. An essential component in the workforce plan must be retention policies that target turnover.

Retention Should Be a Higher Priority than Recruitment

Critical turnover refers to the loss of employees that demonstrate the highest potential value to the company. Typical turnover costs are more than twice an employee’s salary, but far higher when the organization loses its most motivated and productive contributors. This is why retention of high value employees should take priority over policies and programs to recruit new talent.

Discuss Misconceptions about Turnover and Retention

During a discussion of retention policies, it is helpful to clear up preconceived notions about turnover and its causes:

• An employee’s pay level is not usually the primary reason for them leaving. People more often quit because they have problems with their manager or the organization as a whole.
• Examining the reasons people leave is necessary, but it is equally important to evaluate why employees, especially the most valued among them, choose to stay.
• Most exit interviews provide scant insight into turnover causes. Departing employees are worried about job references or burning bridges back to the company. Thus, they supply interviewers with non-confrontational half truths about why they are leaving.
• There must be a distinction made between turnover in general and critical turnover. Retaining the highest performers is far more productive to the bottom line than trying to make everyone happy. Turnover of less productive workers is not always undesirable.

Retention Is a Team Effort

To be successful, it must be pointed out that retention strategies are not the sole burden of the HR department. They must be developed and practiced with the close involvement of management. Managers should be provided opportunities to sharpen their communication and coaching skills and trained to detect signs that good employees are thinking of moving on.