‘Generational fluency’ a must for workplaces, say experts

Philippine companies’ workplace policies must leverage open communication and flexibility to manage employees of different age groups, which could help boost firms’ productivity and competitiveness, experts said.

“When we talk about the future of work, it’s still about people,” Enrique Antonio Reyes, vice-president and head of strategic business partnering at Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., said during a panel discussion at the BusinessWorld Forecast 2026 on Nov. 25.

“The focus of the tenured generation combined with the energy and quickness of the younger generation will lead to better decisions and faster execution,” he said.

Fostering “generational fluency” in the workplace is no longer a human resource (HR) function but a business mandate, Acumen Strategy Consultants President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pauline Fermin told the forum.

The Philippine workforce stands at a critical time where different age groups are interacting in a single work environment, she said.

However, company leaders must address “friction lines” between generations, or this could result in conflicts and weaker productivity.

Over 75% of Philippine CEOs said differences in management and leadership styles is a major workplace issue, according to a 2024 survey by PwC Philippines and the Management Association of the Philippines.

A study by Acumen entitled, “Project Alphabet: Decoding Filipinos Across Generations,” showed how understanding the demographic profile of different age groups can help firms ease inter-generational tensions in the workplace.

The boomers, born from 1940 to 1964, grew up with a militaristic upbringing in the postwar era, and value discipline, loyalty, and hardwork, according to the study presented during the forum.

Generation X, born from 1965 to 1980, lived during the Martial Law years and prefer structure and compliance, but fear getting sick and losing financial security.

Meanwhile, Gen Y or Millennials, born from 1981 to 1996, value collaboration and social awareness, but are worried about burnout and losing work-life balance.

Lastly, Generation Z or Gen Z, born 1997 to 2009, are digital-driven and hyper-empowered, but are concerned about toxic work culture.

“When it comes to generational studies, it’s not just categorizing them, but it’s about seeing how employees view the world through the technology, experiences, and political events that they were born in, and how do you best use those differences to be more collaborative,” Stephanie Angelica S. Naval, founder and CEO at mental healthcare company Empath, told the panel.

Miguel Lim Lanuza, chief head of leadership and culture at Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc. (Mynt), said each generation brings unique value to a company’s workplace.

Older generations, for example, bring in-depth expertise and industry exposure, while the younger employees are more innovative and tech savvy.

“From an HR perspective, managing a multigenerational workforce is really about finding that delicate balance between flexibility and consistency,” he said.

Across multigenerational workplaces, Mr. Lanuza cited the need for training, flexible employee benefits, and updated policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Workplace conflicts among different age groups typically occur due to their different communication styles, Mr. Reyes said.

“Communication will always be a point of tension — the younger generation prefers a more informal, more frequent type of communication, whereas the tenured generation will focus on a more structured, formal type of interaction,” he said.

Company leaders may consider holding one-on-one sessions to better understand their employees’ work and coping styles, Ms. Naval added.

Mr. Lanuza said companies should foster an environment that welcomes feedback across employees’ age groups.

“At least through the feedback loop, you’re able to clarify these things. Eventually, that will lead to some momentum and create more collaboration,” Mr. Lanuza added.

Ms. Naval also noted that Gen Z employees respond better to a teacher-student style of mentorship.

“You don’t spoon feed them with everything, but you mentor them, teach them, let them make mistakes, and you let them learn from it,” she told the panel.

Ms. Naval added that companies should plan ahead to support future workplaces, noting how the next generations, who are growing up in the age of artificial intelligence, will redefine workplace dynamics.

“I think that we require going back to empathy and understanding of people’s different life experiences, what they’ve gone through, how they approach certain situations, and how we can build a workplace that allows people to thrive and contribute to society,” Ms. Naval said.

“It’s a great challenge for all of us to figure out how we can create an environment that allows our teams to bring the best versions of their generation to work,” Mr. Lanuza said.

On the sidelines of the forum, Ms. Fermin said that nonfinancial goals like retention, employee engagement are just as important as a company’s financial targets.

“[Companies must] look at the entire employee journey from talent attraction, salaries and career paths, and how employers can engage, retain, develop their employees into becoming leaders,” she told BusinessWorld. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter