Harnessing the power of generations
It is not unusual these days to find as many as four generations working closely together.
From Baby Boomers to Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z, these cohorts come with different backgrounds, propensities and attitudes toward work.
That combination makes for a dynamic workplace, but could also lead to friction and conflict.
Thus, managing a multi-generational workforce has become a challenge to corporations.
But there are those that have managed to harness the benefits of combining the wisdom of the older generations with the zest and energy of their younger counterparts to achieve common goals.
Unilever Philippines considers its multigenerational workforce one of its greatest strengths, saying that each generation adds value, from experience and institutional knowledge to fresh perspectives, digital fluency and new ways of solving problems.
“Our role is to create that space for people to learn from one another and bring their best to work,” said Unilever.
“That starts with listening. We recognize that people’s needs evolve across different life and career stages, so we continue to shape our programs around what matters to them, from learning and career development to wellbeing, flexibility, and support for parents and caregivers,” Unilever added.
The Philippine unit of the global giant also put in place programs that bring together all employees across generations so that they can learn from each other, share experiences and be assured of multiple support, demonstrating that belonging becomes stronger when employees are active participants and not just passive recipients of programs by the human resources department.
“Ultimately, harnessing a multigenerational workforce is about building mutual respect and a shared sense of purpose. Leaders and managers play a critical role in encouraging candid career conversations, enabling mentorship in both directions, and ensuring that every voice can be heard,” Unilever said.
“When experience, new ideas, and diverse perspectives come together, we create better teams, stronger leaders, and a more adaptable organization,” it added.
These effective programs, however, took time and learning from errors to develop and what Unilever realized early on is that there is no one-size-fits-all employee experience, thus bringing out the best in every team member will require recognition of their individuality as it fits to the collective.
“People have different ambitions, identities, family circumstances, and responsibilities. Workplace practices should reflect these realities through career development, parental and caregiver support, same-sex domestic partnership recognition, and gender-transition support,” Unilever said.
To ensure effectivity, these programs and policies should come to life through the leaders and managers so that employees can make the most of progressive policies.
“Employees should [also] have a voice in shaping workplace culture. Our employee-led communities create support networks, strengthen belonging, and help us understand where we can do better,” Unilever said.
The high morale of its employees is reflected in its recognition by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Statista as one of the Philippines’ Best Employers, an award that is particularly meaningful as it approaches its 100th year in the Philippines in 2027.
“But we see the recognition not as an endpoint, but as encouragement to keep listening, improving, and building a workplace where people can belong, grow, and build meaningful careers,” Unilever said.
For fast-growing digital bank GoTyme, a partnership between the Gokongwei Group and Tyme digital banking group, generations in the workforce do not need to be managed differently. Rather, they need to be led with the same care, clarity and same expectation of excellence.
“A Gen Z digital native and a Gen X leader with 35 years of banking behind them want the same basics: to feel cared about, to have what they need to succeed and to know what good looks like,” said GoTyme Chief People Officer Katherine Antunez.
“Our job is to make those things true for everyone, and then let the differences in experience, speed and perspective work for us,” Antunez added.
Employee programs designed to harmonize those differences are anchored on GoTyme’s care and growth principles.
“Leaders first shift their intent from being here to get to being here to give. That builds trust, which drives commitment, accountability and performance, whatever the age of the person in the room,” Antunez said.
