The Power of the Multigenerational Workforce

The multigenerational workforce possesses incredible power to be harnessed by organizations and leaders across the globe.

“The multigenerational workforce represents a powerful convergence of diverse knowledge and experiences, which has been shown to enhance creativity, innovation, and performance,” explains Dr. Rod McDavis, Managing Principal & CEO, AGB Search. “It is exciting to witness seasoned professionals with decades of expertise collaborating with mid-career professionals and recent graduates, each learning from the other, building trust, and merging their respective strengths to achieve shared goals.”

Every Generation Brings Something to the Table

There are currently five generations in the workforce:

Traditionalists/Silent Generation (1922-1945),
Baby Boomers (1946-1964),
Gen X (1965-1980),
Gen Y/Millennials (1981-1996),
Gen Z (1997-2012), and
A sixth generation, Gen Alpha (2013-2025), will enter the workforce in the 2030s.

Rather than thinking about the differences among generations as disadvantages, organizations should tap into the unique qualities each generation brings to the workforce. Organizations will achieve heightened success by “leveraging the strengths of each generation,” according to Priscilla Motte, Managing Partner, AIMS International - France.

Motte explains that the Traditionalists / Silent Generation brings wisdom, ethics, and a wealth of experience, and Baby Boomers are known for their dedication, loyalty, and hard work. Both, says Matthew Dallison, Partner, Global Co-Head of Consumer Practice, Signium – London, “offer invaluable historical insights and a wealth of industry knowledge, providing stability and mentorship.”

Motte and Dallison agree that Gen X is pragmatic, adaptable, and independent, often serving as a bridge between older and younger employees. Millennials are defined by their technical proficiency, collaborative mindset, and purpose-driven work values, while Gen Z is known for their digital-native skills, high adaptability, and fresh perspectives.

Strengthened Knowledge Across Generations & Teams

Having a multigenerational workforce enables knowledge transfers in both directions – top-down and bottom-up. This strengthens knowledge and expertise across teams.

“Younger employees gain invaluable insights and mentorship from seasoned professionals, imparting wisdom that no educational institution can replicate,” says Belinda Burson, Principal Consultant, M/U - Houston. “Conversely, older generations encounter fresh perspectives and challenging questions from younger colleagues, fostering new ways of thinking.”

McDavis identifies his firm, AGB Search, as a clear example of strengthened knowledge across teams. The firm’s search teams are typically composed of colleagues across generations, enabling seasoned members to contribute invaluable insights from years of working with and among higher education leadership and managing complex executive searches, while those newer to the workforce offer fresh perspectives, including the use of cutting-edge technologies to enhance efficiency.

“These intergenerational partnerships have inspired and energized our approach at AGB Search, enabling us to refine our processes while staying true to our client-centered mission,” says the McDavis.

JH Baek, Managing Partner, TRANSEARCH International – Korea, explains that in Korea, the benefits of a multigenerational workforce are becoming increasingly pronounced as the country enters a super-aging society. “With the largest segments of the population—baby boomers and second-wave boomers, now over 60—companies are rethinking the traditional retirement model to retain valuable expertise,” he says. “For example, Samsung Electronics has implemented a Senior Track system, allowing highly skilled employees to continue working beyond the standard retirement age. Similarly, SK Hynix operates a Technical Expert program, which exempts top-performing professionals from mandatory retirement, enabling them to contribute their knowledge and experience longer.”

Such programs demonstrate how blending generational strengths benefits both the organization and the employees. “Younger employees gain invaluable mentorship and insights, while seasoned professionals contribute to innovation, particularly in high-tech fields where expertise is crucial,” explains Baek.

An article from Richardson Executive Search titled “Mentoring and Developing the Next Generation of C-Suite" reinforces the importance of mentorships in bridging the gap between generations, stating “Effective mentorship programs transfer invaluable knowledge and expertise from seasoned leaders to emerging talents, ensuring that the insights and institutional knowledge crucial for maintaining competitive advantage are preserved.”

Enhanced Diversity of Thought Leads to Improved Innovation, Strategies, Employee Engagement & Growth

A multigenerational workforce can foster diversity of thought among team members, leading to enhanced creativity, innovation, customer engagement strategies and understanding, employee retention, and overall organizational growth.

Guia Greaves, Senior Consultant, M/U – Switzerland, refers to Mercuri Urval Research Institute’s “Research on Inclusion and Diversity” by Emma Jonsson, 2009 (Mercuri Urval Research Institute), when explaining that the “inclusion of different behaviours is emphasized as essential for creating a healthy and well-functioning working environment.”

Pekka Tarkka, Director & Team Leader, M/U – Japan, sums up how multigenerational teams improve diversity of thought and perspectives, leading to a range of team advantages. He shares that “more shared wisdom in the company, more paths to winning business, and having multiple set of eyes on the same problems offer more creative solutions, while wider diversity and inclusiveness make a generally better workplace.”

Dallison agrees that blending generational strengths enhances creativity and innovation. “By encouraging an inclusive culture where all voices are heard, organizations can stimulate creative solutions to complex problems. The cross-pollination of ideas across generations encourages out-of-the-box thinking and drives progress.”

Multigenerational workforces can also improve customer and target audience understanding. “Each generation can relate to different segments of the customer base, to create more personalized and effective engagement strategies. This diversity in perspective can lead to better product development and marketing approaches that resonate with a broader audience,” says Dallison.

Additionally, embracing generational diversity can strengthen employee engagement and retention, Dallison explains. “When employees see their unique strengths recognized and valued, they are more likely to feel satisfied and committed to their organization. This inclusive environment fosters loyalty and reduces turnover, saving recruitment costs and preserving institutional knowledge.”

Overall organizational growth is the culmination of all the advantages multigenerational teams provide. Burson describes how she witnessed firsthand the benefits of a multigenerational workforce while working with PE-owned, fast-growing organizations. One of her clients uniquely brings together all five generations in the workforce while also blending top-tier MBAs with blue-collar labor.

“Their growth trajectory is a testament to the power of generational diversity; within just seven years of their launch, they've surpassed $1B in annual revenue,” said Burson. “This rapid expansion, fueled by both strategic acquisitions and robust organic growth, highlights the most common benefit I see of a multigenerational workforce: growth and innovation.”

How Leaders Can Harness this Power

Leaders who are responsible for multigenerational teams can harness the power of the diverse perspectives and differing characteristics of each generation.

One of the most important actions a leader can take is to honor “different attitudes and behavioral patterns within a team” and “model how to build respectful, meaningful, and stable relationships,” according to Graves. “Team members will appreciate one another instead of judging each other, leading to greater security, which in turn frees up energy to solve problems and achieve goals.”

Tarkka iterates the critical nature of accepting and supporting each generation’s attitudes and values. In Japan, which has a well-known talent shortage, Tarkka says leaders should “embrace younger generations’ requirements such as from home ("telework" in Japanese), flexible working hours, and less mandatory participation in drinking parties with their bosses and clients. This leads to more diversity and inclusion at workplaces as well as generally healthier lifestyles with more flexibility to, for example, have personal time or assist the family at home. These changes benefit all generations and are often led by the demands of younger generations.”

In addition to championing each generation, an article from Stanton Chase titled “Valuing the Importance of an Inclusive Culture in a Multigenerational Workforce” notes that leaders “must always be willing to lead the way—especially when it comes to concepts like inclusivity and diversity. It’s up to them to keep ongoing conversations alive and well. They must commit to actively listening to employee experiences from all ages and backgrounds. They must also work to reciprocate by communicating with these individuals on their terms and from their perspectives.”

An AltoPartners special report written by Sonal Agrawal, Managing Partner, India, Global Chair, also offers several actions leaders can use to make multigenerational workplaces work, such as rethinking the traditional career model, implementing inclusive policies, fostering generational curiosity, and developing intergenerational mentoring programs.

“By embracing a multigenerational mindset, challenging ageist assumptions, and adapting workplace practices, organisations can unlock the potential of this valuable talent pool and create a more inclusive and successful future of work.”