05.05.2026

From Gen Z to Baby Boomers: Managing the most age-diverse workforce in history

Employees from up to four different generations are now working side-by-side, driven by an increase in older people remaining in employment and higher numbers of young people entering the workforce through apprenticeships. Cindy Gunn (pictured above), Group Head of People at leading HR and recruitment specialist Gi Group UK, is urging HR teams to prioritise transparency when managing an increasingly age-diverse workforce.

According to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics, the UK employment rate for individuals aged 50 to 64 increased to 71.6 per cent, recovering slightly from post-pandemic lows and continuing to be a significantly high number. Alongside this, Apprenticeship starts increased by 11.9 per cent to 226,620 from August 2025 – January 2026, with under 19’s accounting for 23.6 per cent of starts.

Gunn says that although workforces can reap the benefits of these different perspectives, it can also present several challenges if not managed correctly.

“For the first time in history, many organisations are managing four distinct generations in the workforce, meaning that people with different communication styles, values and lived experiences are working in cohort with one another.

“What one generation might perceive as acceptable may be viewed as inappropriate or exclusionary by another and HR teams must work together to address issues and ensure that different age groups are educated on respectable communication.”

Market research leader, WifiTalents, found that 15 per cent of employees experience microaggressions on a weekly basis. Microaggressions can be any form of verbal or non-verbal communication that could be regarded as an indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against someone of a marginalised group.

Gunn continued: “It’s important to note that this type of discrimination may occur more in a multigenerational workforce and it’s often lack of communication and transparency that causes this to happen.

“People of different ages may not realise what they are saying is offensive to others if it was previously seen as socially acceptable in their lifetime. Regardless, discrimination has no place in the workplace and that’s why we need to encourage open and honest conversations to create a safe environment.

“HR teams can also implement training to educate workers on unconscious bias and microaggressions to make an effort to prevent it from happening in the first place.”

Aside from preventing conflict, digital literacy is another challenge HR teams need to navigate when dealing with a multigenerational workforce.

Gen Z and Alpha are digital natives, having been born into an era which has made technology such as smartphones and the internet an integral part of their life. Young adults aged 18-24 spend the most time online according to the 2025 Ofcom Online Nations Report, spending an average of six hours and 20 minutes a day.

People who fit into the Baby Boomers and Gen X category who did not grow up with these tools may feel unfamiliar with the developments in technology. Gi Group’s recent report titled ‘The Generational Equation’ shows that while 55 per cent of Gen Z see AI as an opportunity, only 43 per cent of Baby Boomers agree. It is this generation who may require more support and training when using new technologies compared to the generations that use them daily.

Gunn added: “With technology constantly moving forward, businesses are usually looking at utilising new digital tools in order to streamline processes and open doors to more opportunities. Despite this, HR teams need to acknowledge that not all generations might be familiar with the technology being introduced and it’s imperative to ensure everyone in the workplace is educated on how to use it.

“Our own research actually shows that while 89 per cent of workers think continuous training is really important, only 57 per cent of workers feel well supported in being upskilled and retrained. This is something that is consistent across age groups showing the importance of implementing the correct training, openly speaking about upcoming changes and creating a collaborative workplace and tone. By doing this, we can empower employees to provide hands-on support to one another to make sure that everyone feels confident in best practice.”

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