Natalie Deacon, executive director, EMEA communications, Avon Cosmetics

Let’s get the obvious point and the sweeping generalisation out of the way first...Gen Y and Millennials have different expectations of their employer to those of people who started their careers 20 or 30 years ago. A more significant point of difference is not age, but tenure. Someone who has been an employee with the same organisation for 20 or 30 years will have a different emotional investment and expectation to someone new. Greener employees are more likely to challenge the status quo, and to be accepting of change. Tenure is an important factor to bear in mind when communicating change and evolving an organisation’s culture. That said, I know many individuals with a double digit tenure who champion and embrace change, so I’m loathe to go too far down the ‘longer tenure = resistance to change’ stereotype. In my experience, the similarities between different generations at an organisation are greater than their differences. Within an organisation – particularly one with a strong culture – people tend to share similar values regardless of their date of birth. In terms of communications tactics and channels, it’s ludicrous to imagine that Millennials only want to interact via a smartphone. It’s absolutely crucial that we remember how effective the human touch is – regardless of age or tenure. The key to managing a multi-generational work force is to remember you’re dealing with people, not numbers.

Diane Walsh, internal communications manager, Swinton

We currently have seven different generation splits within our organisation, with nine people between the ages of 75-84. Our youngest age range is between 17-24 with 18 of those being at manager level. Our gender split is also interesting with the largest number of women working in our retail network.

Our younger people don’t just want the ‘tell and sell’ communications, they want messages that are inclusive; that ask for their engagement and we need to continue to look at ways to do this. We think about the content and impact of the message on the intended audience too. Is it awareness? Do we want them to do something differently? Is it a call to action and adapt our style for this rather than the audience demographics? I think managers are the most important element in communication. They need to know their people individually and tailor their communications approach, and the language they use, accordingly.

Samantha Dawe, director, Madano

Our research into Gen Y communication trends not only shows the need to be in the middle of a conversation, but also communication that appears too slick can be an issue. It’s more about working with a not quite perfect ‘beta’ version than an ‘alpha’ one, and this requires loosening up. There is also increased emphasis on two-way communication and collaboration in today’s workplace, including reverse and reciprocal mentoring, and this has culture change implications. Technology can be an enabler. Webcasts and online communities and forums, even coaching by text are becoming a norm. Gen Y has grown up with technology but digital channels offer the ability to quickly connect, share ideas and be accessible.

Rich Baker, director of internal communications & employee engagement, andpartnership

Rather than try and select an appropriate channel for an entire generation, we should be enabling individuals to communicate and engage in a way that works for them; and to fit in with their increasingly busy lives. Measurement is a good place to begin to understand differing needs, and I’ve found IC audits, focus groups, web analytics and conversations very useful. One thing I have found to be different across generations is to do with tone and style. While generations are important, they should be considered alongside a number of other factors.