Born in 2003. Leonardo is the youngest among us.
He works in the assembly department of electrical components, he’s been hired with a contract that allows him to combine both studying and working. His dream is to globetrot around the world to test rides. I like to welcome young people like Leonardo to the company, as they arrive full of fresh energy, enthusiasm, and dreams. And I like it, even more, to see these guys working side by side with colleagues who have many more years of experience. This is an enriching experience for everyone.
Never have people from such different generations, both in terms of age and education, lived together in the company.
Leonardo (generation Y) works with generations Z (born after 1996), Millenials (1980-1995), generations X (1965-1979), and baby-boomers (1946-1964); the former tirelessly tinkering on their smartphones, processing information at the speed of light and dreaming of an ever-changing job that fulfills them; the latter having built their world on deep skills and usually in the same company, at least for very long periods, and thinking that “memes” are the abbreviation for “reminders”. A true melting pot of diversity, to be cultivated and helped to grow through dialogue. The risk is that so much diversity will drive people apart and make it more difficult for teams to work together; in reality, if well managed, this variety can become a powerful breeding ground for innovation.
The most important thing is to allow ourselves to know each other and to appreciate our different backgrounds and personal skills: a multigenerational group of work will always be a source of multiple perspectives, and ways of thinking where everyone has room for learning, experts and less experienced.
That’s how a simple coffee break can empower a company workforce: every generation brings a different set of knowledge to the table, which is complementary to others, to create a strong and united team… By casually talking to the youngest you can discover the NFT art existence and the metaverse revolution whereas on the other hand, the mature talents can share their experiences and knowledge. It happens to support colleagues “Millenials” looking for feedback from managers “boomers”, far from sensitive to this need, or share the frustrations of “X” when younger people run to conclusions with (apparent) superficiality, “without having had experience.”
I get emotional seeing the beauty that comes from the generation mix, benefits are twofold as more experts give advice and solutions so that the youngest can learn, improve, and strengthen their skills. The most fascinating and enriching aspect of this multiage workforce is the creation of a space where people learn every day and, therefore, grow.
Our best wish is to value and protect the uniqueness of all employees by listening and understanding. A challenge we face every day!
Lara Facchinetti, HR Manager
zpeople
