Five Generations in One Workforce: Are Intergenerational Teams Chaotic or a Competitive Advantage?

Years ago, I had coffee with Sandi Gilbert, CEO of InterGen. InterGen is a Calgary-based organization that connects young entrepreneurs with seasoned leaders who can support their efforts to rebuild, revitalize, and reimagine our economy. Sandi and I were discussing how my brand and web agency, Tiller, could help InterGen with a rebrand. But I walked away from that conversation with a whole lot more than a new project.

That coffee was my first introduction to the concept and value of intergenerational teams. As a young entrepreneur, I’d often thought about hiring people farther along in their careers, but I’d never done it. It never crossed my mind that building an intergenerational team could be a significant contributor to Tiller’s growth.

What is an Intergenerational Team?

An intergenerational team is a group of individuals from multiple generations working together towards common objectives. These teams include members from five different age groups — Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials (Gen Y), Xennials (a microgeneration between Gen X and Millennials), and Gen Z. Each generation brings unique values, experiences, perspectives, and working styles to the team.

My Own Experience With Intergenerational Teams

For a season, the average age at Tiller was 21 years old. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big believer in young people, so this isn’t a criticism. But while my young, scrappy team of twenty-somethings was working hard and gaining traction, I believe the lack of generational diversity held us back from our true potential and slowed our growth trajectory.

3 Things Held Me Back From Hiring Older Generations 

1. I was intimidated.

I launched Tiller at 19 years old. It took a lot of courage. It also takes a lot of courage to hire people decades older than you. And, although I frequently heard, “Hire people who are smarter than you,” I was battling imposter syndrome.

• How would I lead someone who has so much more experience?
• How could I afford to pay them?
• Would they stay?
• What happens when they realize I don’t know what I’m doing?

The list of questions and doubts was long, and I kept reinforcing that narrative. I didn’t think hiring older employees was really an option, so I gravitated toward people of similar age and experience. I stayed in my comfort zone.

2. I assumed older people wouldn’t want to work for me.

Imposter syndrome leads you to make a lot of assumptions. I struggled to imagine that someone older and more experienced would actually want to work with or be led by younger people. Over time, I’ve discovered that many mid to late-career employees find more fulfillment in their work when they can share their wisdom and mentor others. One late career person I hired even commented, “How else do you think I’ll stay young?!”

For this to work, everyone needs to check their ego at the door. Young people may tend to be overconfident and think they know more than they do. Older people may be defensive of the way they’ve done things in the past and resist new processes. But as soon as someone thinks they know it all, they’re missing out on growth. Humility paired with curiosity keeps a person in the right mindset to learn.

3. I didn’t think I could afford someone more experienced.

Experience has a price tag. For years, I didn’t even try to recruit more experience because I knew it would be expensive (and there wasn’t a lot of money in the bank account). 

Then, I learned about “fractional hires.” Yes, it’s a fancy way of saying part-time contractor, but the title is more accurate. If you hire a fractional person, you get deep experience for a fraction of the cost of hiring them full-time.

At one point in my journey, I had five experienced fractional people (including the CFO, HR, and General Counsel) reporting to me. There was a lot of coordination required, but it was a huge learning opportunity. Working with these seasoned teammates accelerated my growth as a leader and Tiller’s growth as a company.

The adage is true: “You get what you pay for.” I wished I’d learned this earlier in my career. Yes, a new grad with zero experience will cost far less than experienced talent. But if you build a cheap and inexperienced team instead of a balanced, intergenerational team, you’ll struggle to scale. Been there, done that.

16 years into Tiller, I still have budgets and financial constraints, but I will now take more financial risks to attract experienced talent. I think more about the potential ROI than the uptick in overhead. 

At the end of the day, the goal is to build a team that will help you build a sustainable, profitable company. You only get to hire so many people, so choose wisely.

Intergenerational Teams Outperform Younger Ones

I’m not the only one observing the power of intergenerational teams. 

The World Economic Forum reports, “Investing in a multigenerational workforce has the potential to increase GDP per capita by almost 19% over three decades.” Research shows that young entrepreneurs have a 65% greater chance of success when they build intergenerational teams.

Diverse ages and experiences lead to a richer exchange of ideas, more innovative problem-solving, and a more dynamic work environment. For example, Baby Boomers can add wisdom, experience, and strategic thinking, while Gen Zs contribute fresh ideas and a tech-savvy approach. The mix of strengths promotes continuous learning across the entire team. 

Recognizing and valuing the differences between generations promotes mutual respect and bridges gaps in communication and work styles. Effective leadership and organizational practices can maximize an intergenerational team’s potential and turn it into a powerful asset. Intergenerational teams are more competitive, innovative, and adaptable to a rapidly changing business landscape.

Labour Force Trends Support Intergenerational Recruitment 

In 2024, the fastest-growing ages entering the workforce aren’t green youngsters—they’re seasoned workers aged 65-74 and 75+. It’s interesting to consider the factors that could be driving this shift:

• Baby Boomers are evolving their careers
• Longer careers are becoming more common
• Changing pension policies requires people to work longer to get full benefits
• Changing nature of work – more flexible office jobs vs physical labour
• Life expectancy is increasing 

“By 2036, the ratio of those in the labour force to those aged 65 and over who are not in the labour force is expected to decrease to fewer than three to one, highlighting the growing presence of older workers in the labour force​​.” (Statistics Canada)

Intergenerational Teams are the Way of the Future

I’m now 35, and the average age at Tiller is 38. I’m the youngest person on our five-person leadership team. Our team ranges in age from 24 to 63. I share these numbers to demonstrate a change in mindset: from an intimidated imposter to a wholehearted believer in intergenerational teams. It’s been key to our success thus far, and building and nurturing an intergenerational team will continue to be part of our core growth strategy.

For the first time ever, five generations are working side by side in the workplace. For leaders, this creates a unique opportunity to build the most generationally diverse teams we’ve ever seen. For those who embrace the challenge, I believe growth and impact are in your future.