Questions:
1. Background of the issue?
2. The challenges and the barriers that old workers have to face at the work place?
3. Recommendations to overcome the problem?
Answers:
Introduction:
This particular study has primarily focused on the extensive study of the inequality among the older workers at the workplace belonging in the twenty-first century. It has been observed that older workers of various organizations have to face numerous barriers in order to cope up with the changing environment, policies and systems of the organizations. For that purpose, this particular study intends to highlight the expected challenges that the old employees have to face in order to provide an effective performance within the organization.
In the background of the study, it has been observed that EEOC (US Equal employment Opportunity Commission) is very much active in order to make equal justice to both older and the younger employees inside the organization. Moreover, the impact or the necessary outcome of hiring older people within an organization has also been discussed in this particular assignment. Some of the relevant recommendations have been provided through this specific study so that older employees do not have to face any kind of trouble in order to provide an effective service to the organization.
1. Background of the issue
Basavarajappa (2009, p.89) stated that some of the reputed organizations of USA have acknowledged the fact that in the era of twenty first century the experienced and the expert workers have to face numerous obstacles in order to be accustomed with the organizational systems. As a result, they are gradually becoming unable to satisfy the demands of the customers.
It hampers effectively in order to build the image and the reputation of the organization. According to Ortman et al. (2014, p.90), the population of the old employees in the organizations of USA is assumed to reach at 83.7 million. In this situation, if the organizations of USA do not take an initiative in order to overcome the situation, it would definitely hamper the rhythm of organization for reaching its goal.
As per the initiatives taken by US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, it has observed that both the older and the younger employees should get equal priority within the organization. Caplan and Patrizio (2010, p.289) commented that no organization should show any kind of biasness while recruiting the employees or proving them necessary facilities and benefits. On one hand, younger workers are more productive, creative as well as energetic than the older employees.
Automatically, they are able to provide more effort and labour in order to reach the organizational goal. On the other hand, experience and the efficiency are the strongest point of the older employees. As they are not very much able to adjust with the changing process and the environment of the organization, older employees have to face immense challenges in order to survive in the organization.
After the growth of US labour force, they had set a trend that the board of directors of the various organizations of USA should rely on the performance of the older employees so that they do not have to feel any kind of insecurity. Dreger (2015, p.23) opined that various organizations of USA currently tend to avoid recruiting older employees although they are possessed with experience.
At the same time, younger employees should co-operate with the older workers at the time of performance in order to make a balance. In various cases, it has been noticed that older workers do not get sufficient co-operation with the younger generation at the time of work place. As a result, despite their efficiency they have to face difficulties in order to survive in the organizations. For that purpose, this particular assignment has focused to point out the expected barriers that an old employee of a particular organization have to face while providing a good service in order to reach the business target.
2. The challenges and the barriers that old workers have to face at the work place
The major challenges that the older employees have to face at the workplace are as follows:
Communication barrier:
Communication barrier is a serious issue that most the older employees have to face in order to make an effective interaction with the younger employees as well as with the managers. Fang et al. (2013, p.13) opined that the communicative skill of the older employees is not that much strong so that they can make an effective conversation with their juniors as well as with the managing heads.
As a result, linguistic barrier comes in between them. They do not become able to share their problems with their seniors. As a result, they have to face immense difficulties in order to give their best effort towards customer services.
Technological barrier:
Organizations of USA at the age of 21st century have become more advanced technologically. Kagan (2009, p.240) stated that the entire database or the records of the companies have been maintained with the help of technology by maintaining appropriate software. Organizations tend to use different websites, public forums for the promotional activities of that particular organization.
As a result, the organizations need those persons who are very much habituated with these kinds of changing technology. From those perspectives, older employees are not very efficient, as most of them are unable to maintain proper database. They do not even know properly how to use internet and how to collect necessary feedbacks of the customers from the different public forums, websites and so on.
Psychological barrier:
Psychological barrier is one of the major challenges that most of the older employees have to face within the workplace. The gap between gen x and gen y is the primary reason of this particular barrier. Young generations are more productive and creative than even the older generations. Takahashi and Maekawa (2011, p.1215) commented that the strategies and the policies that have been shared by the young generations differ to the point of view of the older workers.
The experience and the efficiency of the old workers are more effective in order to reach the organizational goal. The only drawback of old workers is that they are not very accustomed with the changing circumstances such as technology, policies and systems. Young employees whereas are very advanced in this particular sphere. As a result, psychological barriers take place at the time of any meeting or conference arranged by the board of director of a particular company.
3. Recommendations to overcome the problem
In order to overcome the generation gap between older and the new employees in order to maintain a unity within an organization, the companies of USA should take effective measures to reduce this gap. Some of the necessary recommendations can be followed to overcome the problem. The recommendations are as follows:
Providing effective training on communication skill:
Most of the older employees in a particular organization are not able to make effective communication with others. Timerbaev (2013, p225) opined that in order to provide a major solution, operational management needs to provide training on communication skill so that older employees can improve in order to interact with others.
Providing regular guidance for enhancing skill in technology:
Older employees are not very much advanced in technology. For that reason, they should get a proper training in this regard. Maintaining proper database or taking the record of performance of every employee is very much necessary. Wilson et al. (2012, p.329) stated that it is the primary reason older employees have to be accustomed with the advancement of technology.
In addition, training should be provided how to use internet and to collect the response of the customers whether it is positive or negative. As a result, the older employees would be able to understand the suitable business strategies and policies that the organizations should use in order to satisfy the demand of the customers.
Making effective communication to overcome psychological barriers:
After getting proper training and guidance in order to enhance the communication skill of the old employees, they would definitely b able to make effective communication with others. It would help the leaders as well as the managers to interact with those employees.
In addition, old employees as well would become able to share their personal opinion regarding the product and the services. Consequently, the psychological barrier between Gen x and Gen y would be overcome ultimately.
Conclusion:
The entire study deals with the effect of inequality of older employees within the workplace. It is very much important to provide equal priority to both young and the old employees within an organization as per the initiatives taken by EEOC. In the background of this particular study, it has been observed that US labour force has set a trend to provide equal respect and dignity to every employee.
For that reason, this particular study has focused to highlight the primary challenges that the older workers have to face at the time of performance. The three major challenges that organizations have to face are communication barrier, psychological barrier and technological barrier. Technological barrier is the serious issue or the older employees that has been categorically highlighted in this specific study as well.
Moreover, this study has intended to point out some of the relevant recommendations based on which various organizations of USA can overcome these kinds of problems. Providing effective training on the communication skill, enhancing technological skill, making effective communication are some of the relevant recommendations that the organizations should follow for overcoming the problem.
Reference List:
Basavarajappa, K. 2009. “Distribution, Inequality and Concentration Of Income Among Older Employees”, SSRN Electronic Journal, 9(23), pp.89-100.
Caplan, A. and Patrizio, P. 2010. “The Ethical Challenges of Older Women at workplace”, Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, 28(04), pp.281-286.
Dreger, C. 2015. “Labour Markets, Institutions and Inequality: Building Just Societies in the 21st Century”, Eur J Dev Res, 45(50), pp.23-50.
Fang, Y., Chen, K. and Liu, C. 2013. “Amorphous Silicon Double Barrier Homojunction Device with Negative Resistance”, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 3(45), pp.13-20.
Kagan, S. 2009. “Guest Editorial: Boundaries and barriers: redefining older people nursing in the 21st century”, International Journal of Older People, 4(4), pp.240-241.
Takahashi, H. and Maekawa, T. 2011. “Evaluation of Effective Recombination Velocity Related to the Potential Barrier”, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 41(3), pp.1214-1219.
Timerbaev, A. 2013. “Inorganic analysis using CE: Advanced methodologies to face old challenges”, Electrophoresis, 35(1), pp.225-233.
Wilson, S., Baecher-Lind, L. and Strohsnitter, W. 2012. “Challenges pediatricians face: barriers to contraception counseling and provision for adolescents”, Contraception, 85(3), pp.329-330.
