Within an office there is a variety of generations to please and when it comes to a productive workspace, we believe that it’s vital to cater to everyone’s working styles, needs and values. With a combination of different generations, comes diversity. It’s important to understand that strengths and weaknesses can differ, in addition to how individuals work within their environment. We must acknowledge how working practices have changed over the years in order to prepare for the next generation. So how does each generation work? This interesting chart created from a new study, published by EY (Ernst & Young) , highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each generation within the workplace.

As you can see, each generation has its pros and cons but how does that effect the workplace? Baby Boomers Known to be committed and focused on career goals, baby boomers are a generation of workers that like to stick to their routines in order to achieve their goals. They have life experience and skills that many newer generations cannot offer. However, in some cases the next generation of workers have adapted to new technology and social change within the office, and baby boomers may be reluctant to adapt as it’s something they are not used to. Generation X This generation has a passion for achieving their goals and embracing change in the workplace. They aim for a good work life balance and refuse to take on the unsociable hours that boomers would work. Generation X also strive for a more flexible working environment and unlike the boomers, they have been brought up in an era filled with technological change. This means that they are open to future changes and trends in the workplace. Generation Y Generation Y are extremely tech savvy, creative and passionate. They emit a productive attitude in the workplace and strive for jobs where they can learn more and grow within the company. Generation Y are always on the move and are constantly juggling different tasks at the same time. They prefer everything to be more technical in the workplace with the use of emails, web based systems and applications. Just like the Generation X-ers, they prefer a more flexible workspace complete with updated tech and creative spaces. The Future for Generation Z By comparing all the changes between generations, it’s clear to see that the newer generations have adapted to change and trends within the workplace, from social spaces being introduced enabling employees to work together, to updated technical features and the ability to work flexibly around the office. For Generation Z, they are a generation who have grown up with social and technical trends. Therefore, the traditional office will have to adapt as they have high expectations and prefer to work in an agile environment and a place that maximizes their productivity and creativity. So what’s next? Well, preparing for the new generation means exploring ways in which you can create a more flexible and collaborative space. Our products offer the chance to improve your workspace and help build culture and engagement and encourage flexible working, which Gen Z strives for. Our Railway Carriages provide a space to hold informal meetings as well as the opportunity to work away from the desk in a more relaxed setting.  As well as this, our new seating range - Softbox - offers you the chance to create your own collaborative spaces within the work place with a wide range of vibrant colours and relaxed design that attracts employees to work in a more inspiring and casual setting. Our team of Workspace Concept Advisors aim to monitor the workspace trends and offer the best advice on how to adapt to the new generation of workers with effective solutions. We'd love to tell you more of how we can help prepare your workspace for the next generation and get ahead of the game, just click here to get in touch.