A Unifying Company Culture Can Bridge Generational Divides in the Workplace

Newsweek

12-05-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Baby Boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z – what do they have in common? They are all on the same Teams call or sharing an office at companies across all industries in the U.S.
Older generations have been working for decades in traditional office structures that now seem foreign in the five years since the COVID-19 pandemic shut industries down and forced many non-essential workers to work from home.
But since 2020, a new demographic of professionals have entered the workplace with a different mentality and expectations than the new hires who came before them. While this may cause some tension or miscommunication, smart business leaders know that multi-generational workforces can help drive success.
In industries like food service, hospitality and retail, hourly shift work brings people of all ages and experience levels together.
Marissa Andrada has worked as a chief human resources officer for 20 years at companies such as Starbucks, Kate Spade and recently Chipotle. She is currently the chief culture officer at media platform Wuf World, which shares stories of humans and their dogs, and serves on Krispy Kreme's board of directors.
"I think what's really cool about these multigenerational workforces is that whether or not they're related, it feels like family–and family can be both positive and challenging," she told Newsweek.
Andrada said the close communication and collaboration that comes from sharing a pre-shift meal or prepping food side by side allows for an exchange of ideas, skills and experiences that enhance everyone's performance.
"I know there [are] different characteristics between generations, but how they relate to each other is still at a very human level," she said. "The ability to connect at a human level, to be empathetic towards each other, to work well together, I see that as an interesting thing that generations can bring to the table. They can learn from each other."
Gen Z includes people born roughly between 1997 and 2012, according to PEW Research, and will graduate from college and enter the workforce between 2020 and 2035.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Gen Z surpassed Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) in the workforce last year. By the second quarter of 2024, Gen Z made up 18 percent of the workforce, with Boomers dropping to 15 percent. Millennials (born 1981-1996) make up the majority of the working population at 36 percent, followed by Gen X (born 1965-1980) at 31 percent. It is estimated that Generation Z will make up about 30 percent of the workforce by the year 2030.
To help these young professionals navigate their job search, Newsweek recently published its ranking of America's Greatest Workplaces for Gen Z 2025 in partnership with data analytics firm Plant-A Insights. The ranking gathers publicly available data, interviews with HR professionals and an online survey of Gen Z employees who scored and recommended U.S. companies. KPIs evaluated included social media reviews, professional development insights and company culture.
Deloitte's 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that work-life balance is the top priority for these two generations. Environmental sustainability and a sense of purpose are also important for younger professionals in the workplace.
The study also found that a majority of Gen Z and millennials (around 60 percent) believe they have the power to drive change within their organizations, especially in areas such as wellness, social impact, diversity and inclusion, workload and environmental efforts.
how companies manage multiple generations in the workplace
how companies manage multiple generations in the workplace
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty
One of the biggest distinctions between Gen Z and older generations is the normalization of remote work as part of the ideal work-life balance.
Many companies that were fully remote or hybrid as a result of the pandemic are now requiring people to return to the office full time—a major disruption for young workers who were hired amid to work-from-home and have little or no experience working 40 hours a week in person.
"Gen Z never expected to go in full time," Katie Smith, the founder of career-development platform Get a Corporate Job, told Newsweek. "And so when a company is now saying, 'We're going back to pre-pandemic ways and asking you to be in [office] five days a week,' they're livid."
In addition to consulting young professionals about how to navigate and succeed in the corporate world, she also works at a Fortune Global 500 company and manages employees from different generations.
Smith said many Gen Zers also have an aversion to talking on the phone, preferring to communicate over messaging platforms like Teams or Slack, and have missed out on crucial communication that happens in the office among coworkers from different teams and departments. Those interactions bring more potential for more work opportunities, mentoring and networking – especially when you're new to the company.
With these distinct communications differences, companies need to better adapt to ensure they are supporting every employee succeed.
At Cognizant, a 4.5-star company on Newsweek's ranking, fostering early career talent is a key aspect to their business model.
"Today, it's increasingly important to treat [employees] how they want to be treated," Chief People Officer Kathy Diaz told Newsweek over email. "Leaders have to be increasingly aware of differences and demonstrate situational leadership."
For example, Diaz said most Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are used to one annual meeting for receiving feedback. But younger generations prefer regular check-ins, immediate feedback and to be mentored continuously verses once a quarter.
"Gen Z values continuous learning – they're what I like to call 'learning athletes' because they've been learning their whole lives and they know how to flex that muscle as part of their continued development," Diaz said. "Employees want to know their leader is staying relevant to with the current context, and that they can learn from them – otherwise they are not going to trust them with their career."
Diaz said Cognizant provides an environment where Gen Z "are empowered to thrive and shape a dynamic career."
"Young professionals recognize that generative AI is transforming careers and they're seeking employers who will not only help prepare them for this future but empower then to shape it," she said.
While Gen Z workers are trying to adapt to traditional workplace structure, there are also many areas within companies where younger employees are driving conversations that are pushing the culture forward for everyone.
Mental health and wellness have been linked as a top priority for younger generations – not because they are the only generation who cares about health and work-life balance, but because they have destigmatized open conversations about these topics.
Companies that prioritize these values will not only attract young job seekers but will see improvements to overall well-being and productivity of all employees.
Dr. Romie Mustaq is the chief wellness officer at The Great Wolf Lodge, which has a 5-star rating on Newsweek's ranking. She told Newsweek that older generations, like the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers and even some older Gen Xers, "have a very skewed version" of mental health.
"[They] sometimes come off as negative around mental health and mental well-being, that whole 'suck it up, buttercup' mentality," she said. "Millennials and Gen Z have normalized talking about mental health in the workplace. I have highly intelligent conversations daily at Great Wolf resorts with our millennial and Gen Z employees talking to be about different therapy types and medications and the role of meditation."
She said with so many different generations in the workplace now, leadership needs to understand that "everybody is speaking a different language."
"You will spend a substantial amount of time bridging that language gap, otherwise, we can never fix the issues that are coming up [like] record amounts of stress, anxiety and burnout that are really critical issues," she said.
With at least four generations working side by side, managers and senior leadership can bridge those gaps in communication and expectations by solidifying a strong company culture that unifies and empowers everyone.
"The core strategy for every company that will embrace diversity of age is having clarity on purpose and clarity on values," human resources expert Andrada said. "No matter who you are and what generation you sit in, the reason why people will come to work at your company and stay is because you are clear on what you stand for."
The core values and mission of a company are what grounds and connects all employees with shared goals and expectations and allows people from all experiences and backgrounds to thrive, individually and as a team.
"The values are how we behave together," she said. "I use that as a starting place with senior leadership all the way through supervisors that support the front line. You need to come from a place of behaving, leading, reflecting the purpose and the values of the company – that's what creates a culture of inclusion and cohesion and productivity."
Smith, of Get a Corporate Job, has managed teams with Boomer and Gen Zer employees. She told Newsweek that she's seen firsthand how younger and older employees teach each other about new technology and the broader history or context of what their work means.
"When you put them on projects together, you're seeing both of them learn new things and collectively develop their skills, which I think is positive for the companies," she said.
That's why she advises young professionals to be willing to put in more effort to demonstrate to hiring managers that they can work hard and offer a unique set of skills and creativity.
At Cognizant, Diaz said having a diverse range of employees creates a competitive advantage in the technology industry.
"We look to construct diverse teams that bring a global mindset, deeply understand customer needs, spot emerging opportunities and tech trends, and collaboratively create innovative new approaches."
A multigenerational team, she added, "blends the deep wisdom, expertise and relationships of more senior talent, with the fresh skillsets and perspective of younger generations to deliver value for our clients."