There’s no surprise that the latest survey from Kelly Services has revealed significant differences across the generations at work – but the recruitment specialists suggest that harnessing these differences and handling them correctly could improve workplace productivity. For example, when it comes to rewards and bonuses older workers favour non-cash items such as time off and training opportunities, while Gen Y shows a clear preference for monetary rewards. Other findings include:

• Baby boomers believe they understand the generational differences better than Gen Y or Gen X
• Gen Y are the most positive about the productivity benefits flowing from diverse age groups in the workplace
• In communicating with colleagues, all generations prefer face-to-face discussion over written or electronic communication
• Almost half (47 per cent) say they have experienced intergenerational conflicts in their workplace.