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From the perspective of an L&D professional, this area of integration between what different generations prioritise, is the most efficient route to target, Gautam Duggal, Director Global Talent Management & Learning, Mastercard, affirms. Arina Sofiah reports.
Generational diversity is often celebrated in today’s workplaces, but it can also become a source of misperception —especially when it comes to learning and development (L&D) strategies. Too often, broad generational stereotypes dictate programme design, resulting in missed opportunities for true engagement. Speaking at HRO’s Learning & Development Asia 2024, Malaysia, held on 25-26 September 2024, Gautam Duggal (pictured above), Director Global Talent Management & Learning, Mastercard emphasised the importance of shifting focus from age-based labels to life stages and shared priorities.
"We have segregated the different generations, but there is a point where there is a cusp of likeliness."
Where it differs is how the generations express these needs, and their expectations of how these employers should fulfill them, he added.
From the perspective of an L&D professional, this area of integration between what two different generations prioritise, is the most efficient route to target. If you instead choose to segregate your L&D efforts amongst the generations, you are unintentionally creating a divide, and in turn, simply creating more problems for yourself. Interestingly, as studies reveal, generational divide is less about age, but more about current life experiences.
"People react to their situation in life; they don't really react to which generation they belong to."
Citing an example, the leader referenced generation Z and alpha — otherwise known as the 'digital natives’. Despite these groups being born around technology, the heaviest adopters of technology are, in fact, generation X and Millennials, as these are the groups who experienced all early versions of technology-driven platforms.
Looking at statistics, this group would have likely had access to more platforms than an employee who has just joined the workforce. As such, when designing your programmes for your workforce demographic, it is important to understand what life stage they are at, and not the generation, Gautam noted.
For example, if you wish to engage an employee who is at a stage much later in their career, a more effective way would be to give them more authority to coach and teach others, or to help others learn.
On the other hand, consider giving generation X more leadership opportunities. This is not limited to promotions, and can simply include opportunities within the corporate social responsibility, environment, social & governance, or pro-bono work the organisation does with non-government organisations. This also serves as a free-of-cost opportunity to assess whether they are a good fit for leadership roles.
Looking at Millennials, this group is driven by flexibility and career paths. However, the speaker warned L&D professionals against stretching their flexibility too far, for example by sending them bite-size learning materials at the wee hours of the morning.
Last but not least, generation Z is all about prioritisation.
"Generational stereotypes often mislead; therefore, we need focus on individual needs, as differences often stem from age and life stage, not generation."
Taking away from the session, it’s clear that generational labels may provide convenient shorthand, but they risk oversimplifying the complex and nuanced needs of a diverse workforce. By recognising the intersections of life stage, shared values, and individual priorities, L&D professionals can design programmes that resonate deeply with employees across the board.
As Gautam affirmed in the session, meeting your workforce 'where they are' rather than categorising them by age is the cornerstone of building impactful and cohesive learning experiences. This tailored approach not only avoids perpetuating divides but also empowers organisations to unlock the full potential of their talent.
These are just some of the insights shared at our Learning & Development Asia 2024, Malaysia conference.
Human Resources Online would like to thank all speakers, moderators, panellists, and attendees for being valuable contributors to this event.
We would also like to extend our gratitude to our sponsors & partners for making this conference possible:
Platinum Sponsor
Coachology
Gold Sponsors
Globis Asia Pacific
StoryIQ
Silver Sponsors
Fish Camp Learning
Hong Bao Media
Exhibitors
ArcLab
Edu-CLaas
Leadapreneur
Mango Training
Event Partner
Pigeonhole
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