Walk into almost any UK workplace and you’ll find people in their twenties alongside people in their sixties – sometimes their seventies. Four generations sharing the same teams, meetings, and group chats: Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, all in one room. That’s a lot of different Spotify playlists and very different opinions on whether it’s okay to end a text message with a full stop.
It can be brilliant. It can also be awkward. And with people working later in life than ever before – the state pension age keeps rising, and more over-65s are choosing to stay in work – age-diverse teams aren’t a passing phase. They’re the new normal. Getting good at working across those differences is fast becoming one of the most useful skills you can have.
The Stereotypes We’ve All Heard
You know the ones.
“Boomers can’t work the printer.”
“Millennials want a trophy for turning up.”
“Gen Z won’t pick up the phone.”
“Gen X just sit there being sarcastic.” (That last one is occasionally fair.)
These get a laugh in the break room, but they cause real problems when they shape how people treat each other. Assume the 60-year-old can’t learn new software and you’ll stop including them. Assume the 22-year-old has nothing to teach you, and you’ll miss out.
The truth is much messier. Plenty of older workers are more tech-savvy than their younger colleagues, and plenty of younger workers are more committed than anyone gives them credit for.
What Different Ages Often Bring
These are patterns, not rules – but they’re worth knowing.
Older workers often bring calm under pressure, deep experience, and networks built over decades (not to mention having survived at least three different company email systems). Younger workers often bring fresh eyes, comfort with new tools, and a willingness to question “the way we’ve always done it.”
The sweet spot is when those strengths combine. A 50-year-old site manager and a 23-year-old apprentice can learn plenty from each other – if they’re both open to it.
Where It Gets Tricky
Most friction isn’t about values. It’s about small stuff. Communication style is the big one – the colleague who sends a three-paragraph email when a quick message would do, or the one who leaves a voicemail (a voicemail!) when any other method would be faster.
Then there’s meetings. Some people want them formal and structured. Others think five minutes around a kettle counts (and who’s to say they’re wrong?).
Pro Tip: If a colleague’s style winds you up, try asking how they’d prefer to be contacted – and share your preference too. Most friction disappears once people stop guessing and just say what works.
Making It Work
Judge people on what they do, not when they were born. Good work is good work, whether it comes from someone with 30 years’ experience or three months’.
Flex your style. If your younger colleague prefers Teams and you prefer email, meeting halfway isn’t giving in – it’s being professional. (And honestly, the message probably is faster.)
Learn from each other. Reverse mentoring – where younger team members share what they know with more experienced colleagues – works brilliantly when both sides bring good humour to it. It builds respect both ways.
Try This: Ask a colleague from a different generation how they prefer to be contacted. You might find the person who “never answers emails” is actually lightning-fast on Teams. Small discoveries like this clear up more friction than any team-building day.
A Skill for the Long Haul
With retirement ages rising, age-diverse teams are only going to become more common. The 25-year-old starting out today will probably work alongside four or five different generations before they’re done. Getting comfortable with that now – curious rather than irritated, flexible rather than fixed – is a smart investment in your working life.
