Age is just a number, but today’s workforce has a wide range of numbers, and it’s only going to get wider.

Right now we have 4 generations in the workplace. The Millennials are still pouring in, and Gen X continues to rise into leadership positions (and, in many cases, spent the last decade starting their own businesses). The Baby Boomers are still around in large numbers, and the expected wave of retirements has not really materialized yet. We still even have Greatest Generation folks (there are different names for the generation that came of age around World War II, but I have always liked this tag) still working, and some of them will stay with us for a while, perhaps until the post-Millennial crowd starts coming into the workplace. Think about it: lifespans have increased, people are in better health as medical science and physical fitness have improved, retirement savings have taken a hit in recent years…if people do not have to stop working or if they gain little benefit from retiring, their incentive to keep working may still keep them active.

We often think of our most creative and innovative employees as being young, because there is a perception that only young people can come up with new ideas. That’s crap, of course; creativity and innovation are determined by one’s brain, and outlook, and desires, not by a birth certificate. Smart organizations realize that “diversity” includes age diversity, and they incorporate the best every generation has to offer. Older workers have experience and corporate knowledge that can help you identify new opportunities, while new workers may not know what “cannot” be done, and therefore try plenty of fresh ideas. And of course, it is important not to stereotype based on age; an 80-year old can be open to new ways of thinking while a 20-year old can be stuck in a rut. Your goal is to get the best people regardless of age, and not limit your recruiting pool by focusing on only one or two generations that you think will be creative.

Having said that, managing different generations still requires an understanding of perspectives and attitudes that may be more prevalent in different age groups. Your older employees have experienced certain styles of work that are evolving; while these may be “status quo” for people just coming into the workforce, they represent a change for older workers, and change presents challenges that need to be addressed. Older workers may be more concerned with benefits such as health care for their families while younger workers focus on training opportunities in their new career. Older workers may be comfortable at the level where they are working while new employees may seek new opportunities for growth and advancement.

Managing multiple generations requires understanding multiple generations. It also requires moving beyond stereotypes and understanding the needs and abilities of each employee. Generalizations are helpful in identifying likely expectations they have and benefits they can confer, so it’s important to understand them, but that still does not replace knowing what each of your employees brings and what they need in order to make the best use of that. It might be tough to pin down the differences between generations, but if you at least remember that there are likely to be some differences, and you are prepared for them, you will be ahead of the game.