Page 51 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

38B RE-ENGAGE

while working to lessen any negative effects and turn increased diver-
sity to our advantage where we can.

Narrowing the Generation Gap
We asked the obvious question: “What, if anything, are employers
with higher engagement scores doing differently to lessen the negative
effects of generational diversity?”
Our research revealed that employers with significantly higher
levels of overall employee engagement—recognized as Best Places to
Work—have significantly smaller gaps in engagement scores among
the four generations.

: 9
According to our studies, employers who score highest in
overall employee engagement have engagement score gaps
between generations that are half the size of lowest-scoring
employers.

This means that employees in workplaces where overall engage-
ment is high, regardless of age, are more satisfied with the kind of
work they are doing, experience higher levels of teamwork, feel more
valued and recognized, and are less likely to be searching for a higher
paycheck. To be sure, the generation gaps still exist, but creating a
great workplace seems to act as a governor on negative feelings about
differences of age and perspective.
We present the remarks of three young people just starting their
careers in nursing, accounting, and construction, respectively. They
all work for employers selected as Best Places to Work, based solely on
employee survey results. It is clear that their employers have created
superior work environments where employees in their twenties can be
excited about what they do and feel committed to staying there.