Why You Shouldn't Treat Every Employee the Same

I couldn't agree more. And it's EVERYONE's responsibility to make all groups feel special. If everyone does that, the workplace will be a happier place!

just something to change your perspective on the example you gave- your Au Bon Pain example is showing that all employees ARE treated the same. The underlying principle is not to entitle a religious group, but to understand, and respect ALL cultural diversity.

Ryan,

Good job. You brought up a very good point which is you shouldn't single out any one group for recognition because it will only cause resentment from the other groups. But if you show that you are sensitive to each and every group and can do this without showing favoritism, then your employees will see the genuineness of the actions and you will get positive feedback from all levels across every generation.

Your insights are great on the Gen Y group. Since I came from the Baby Boomer generation and because I am so involved in the HR function, I look for articles and stories which examine the different generations as they pertain to the business environment. I don't like seeing any generation saying that they are right and everyone else is wrong. But I do like seeing the differences that exists among the various generations. And I think that the HR function owes it to its employees to understand those differences and try to improve their diversity in the workplace by doing things such as what you have mentioned to show that the business culture can adapt to change and is not afraid to consider changes in policies due to the changes brought on by a new generational workforce.

I applaud your depth of understanding and encourage those in the HR field to jump on this bandwagon as soon as possible – else you will all be left with stale cheese and a resentfull workforce.

I think another mistake that companies make is that they assume that the things Gen Y is a champion of are things that the rest of their employees might not be too fond of, or that the things that Gen Y wants are "too youthful" or "too oddball".
Chances are, things that Gen Y might be interested in (breaking down corporate barriers being one of them) also appeal to the rest of the workplace. It's just that previous generations haven't gotten the support (both from up top and from each other) to organize and do something about it.

I am a career coach and listen to my Gen X, Y, and Baby Boomer clients talk about this very subject. First, I would recommend that anyone in the HR field or any Manager in the Corporate world read the book called, Workforce Crisis.
Second, My advice to my clients ages 18-70 is embrace each generation and really learn more about them than telling them about what your generation is all about. I talked to one of my 21 year old clients and he is so frustrated with the baby boomers and elders in the workforce. He feels that they are always comparing the way the work and what they do to what the younger generation does or doesn't do. For example most of us over 40 were expected and still are to arrive early (about a half hour to hour) and stay late after work to show our loyalty and strong work ethic. Well the Gen Y's that I talk to roll in right on time and don't feel the need to prove themselves or show the boss how hard they work.

We need to learn how each generation operates and thinks before we can really solve the issues, especially communication issues in the workplace. They younger generation feels that the older generation doesn't respect them and doesn't listen to them and the older generation thinks they get paid more, take more liberties on the job, and are pretty bold when communicating in the workplace. We can't run from it so like the sayings goes, you can't beat so join them!

You've heard of the "Golden Rule": treat people how you would like to be treated. I think this goes further. Somewhere I heard it referred to as the "Platinum Rule": treat people how THEY want to be treated. I think this idea can be related to business customers as well as employees. Meaning that you should try to find ways to make your customers feel special as well.

Great article – I also work for a company that goes out of its way to make sure all employees aren't treated the same way. There are family members, then the political insiders and the owner's personal favorites – ( despite their abilities, or lack thereof ……. ) and then, the rest of us. The " rest of us" are subjected to poor treatment, abuse – and a different level of ( unreal ) expectations. It would make a great movie : " Crouching Manager, Hidden Agenda" might be the title.

Some toxic bosses cannot be negotiated with, particularly he has no authority or willingness to improve conditions or relations. The word is, our uppermost leader is suffering from severe depression, lacks the business savvy to deal with the challenges of this economy…. and refuses to understand today's challenges will not be met by yesterday's ways of going to market. It's true – a fish does stink from the head down.

I've expended so much energy trying to make things right with my immediate superior but as he is so afraid for his own job, and has been for so long – I have come to the conclusion I have to find another position elsewhere. You can't negotiate with anangry pit bull, despite your innocence.

GenerationY are a very difficult group to manage; to say…treat people the way they want to be treated requires a sense of the person…that is a process. Gen Y come with an expectation of this…that one already knows me and "this" is how I deserve to be treated. The problem I have really is (1) the sense of entitlement (2) worse so, the lack of APPRECIATION for your outreach efforts and extensions. Talk about demoralizing. It is THIS issue that causes disruption in the workplace. Gen Y are less team players which imposes a natural conflict in the team environment; this is further exacerbated by the lack of appreciation whether if it is of an individual team member's assistance, or the gross entitlement of courtesy and persmissions from one's supervisor or manager. I really hesistate to hire this generation in my work environment.