Building Belonging Across Generations

With as many as five generations currently in the workforce, hospitals and healthcare systems, like all employers, can build a sense of belonging that takes into account all age groups.

Leon Caldwell, PhD, senior director, health equity strategy and innovation at the American Hospital Association, sees a need to encourage intergenerational dialogue to build understanding. “This is not to be confused with intergenerational hierarchies on who speaks,” he says. “If you can train folks on listening to one another, and you find a common space, that in itself creates a sense of belonging.”

During the diversity and inclusion curriculum implemented at Main Line Health in suburban Philadelphia about a decade ago, one of the exercises involved breaking into generational groups and asking, “How do you feel other generations think of you? What do you think of other generations?” recalls Jack Lynch III, FACHE, president and CEO. “It was interesting to see the results. ‘The younger group are lazy. The older group, all they care about is money.’”

Understanding employee perceptions and needs across generations is critical to institutional success, Lynch believes. “Different generations of employees expect different things from their employer,” he adds.

Monument Health, in Rapid City, S.D., is working to simultaneously retain an aging workforce while also recruiting younger generations who think differently, says Paulette Davidson, FACHE, president and CEO. That means ensuring that “our policies, our benefits, the way we work with each other respects everyone, based on where they’re coming from,” she says. “We’ve used focus groups to tell us how we progress with cultural changes and create acceptance in our workforce.”

Communication styles and baseline mindsets can vary from generation to generation, says Sandra Ogunremi, DHA, vice president, diversity, inclusion & belonging at Monument. “It’s sometimes learning what not to say to someone, [like] ‘When are you going to retire?’” she says. “One of the younger people said people are always asking her about technology—the presumption is she’s gifted in technology. She’s not. You need to call IT.” And while older generations were taught, “be resilient, younger folks are taught, take a mental health day.”

Northwell Health, based in the New York City area, values the contributions of all age groups, says Maxine Carrington, JD, senior vice president and chief people officer. “We never want anybody to feel like they’re not being listened to—or not being listened to anymore,” she says. Ther healthcare system’s soon-to-be-launched business employee resource group called Generations features “segments where every generation can get together, network, build community and talk about shared experiences,” Carrington adds. “We want to bring them all together for cross-generational conversations where they can all learn together, and ultimately respect and appreciate the value they all bring to the table.”

Generational differences inform who people are and how they show up in the workplace, says Jacqueline Thomas-Hall, vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Minneapolis-based Allina Health. “Often times, you have younger leaders managing staff and others who are much older,” she says. “How do you create opportunities to ensure you’re leveraging the best of both worlds?”

Inclusive leadership starts with a curious mindset, Thomas-Hall believes. “If there are things you don’t understand, that are outside your scope, how do you have that conversation and show up in a way that says, ‘I am invested in you,’” she says. “We have shifted to talking to our leaders about having ‘stay interviews.’ How do you re-employ someone every day? From a generational perspective, it allows you to understand the unique needs of individuals, as well as populations. If you stay curious, it will allow you to adjust.”