Mixing Up the Workplace: Meeting the Demands of the Intergenerational Office

Four generations coexisting in the same space isn’t an experience just reserved for the annual family reunion: the office is another arena where the age range can span upwards of 50 years. Every working day, the gaping age difference of the stereotypically ‘time-stressed’ Baby Boomers and ‘socially conscious’ Millennials is bridged by the ‘sceptical’ members of Generation X. Dubbed the Traditionalists, the eldest generation of workers today – which includes the likes of architects Glenn Murcutt and Tadao Ando – is stepping back as the bright-eyed youth of Generation Z debuts in the ring. Today, 10 per cent of the latter group is estimated to join the labour force by 2020. By the exact same year, it is projected that the global labour force will comprise 50 per cent of Millennials. As of 2016, the Australian workplace is broken down into 4.1 million Baby Boomers, 4.8 million Generation X and 4.9 million Millennials, making the latter the largest employed age group in the country. Clearly, we are enjoying a dynamic transitionary period for our total professional community.