Baby Boomers; the largest and most well-known portion of the American landscape. Born from 1946 to 1964, boomers continue to influence the way we work. Not yet obsolete and, due to the economy, either staying in the workforce or returning in droves, boomers bring special needs and also vast knowledge and experience to your company.
So who are they?
74.6 million strong, boomers are still the economy. They were optimistic and felt that education was their birthright. With a buy-now and pay-later take on life, they were the wealthiest and most physically fit generation, redefining the landscape and developing the suburbs. They expected that life would get better over time and for many years that was the case. They are products of the '60s and the early '70s, the Vietnam War, Watergate and the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.
How do Baby Boomers Affect the Design of your Workplace?
Generally in the workplace, Baby Boomers are workaholics and team players who work to live. They value raises and promotions but not feedback. They are collegial, like to meet in person and, with their cell phones at hand, are available to talk with you any time. Boomers value efficient and functional workspaces and meeting rooms as well as acoustic privacy.
When I was working at what I now jokingly call a small little-known insurance company (AIG), my favorite story well illustrates the overview of Baby Boomers in the work place. The design of the office reflected hierarchy in AIG (and most offices in Wall Street). Where you sat, who you sat next to and how your office looked was a major deal even into the nineties when I was there. Hearkening back to the late eighties, the manager in question was recently promoted and given a brand new office. He entered the newly designed space and promptly called in the designer demanding his "fuzzy, wuzzy wall". Where was it and why was it not installed? Still cracks me up...
The Graying Workplace
You may be more familiar with universal design in the home - kitchens that accommodate wheelchairs, accessible appliances, roll-in showers with grab bars etc. Workplaces must also take into account the needs of an aging population. Primary concerns are loss of hearing, loss of vision and loss of agility.
Solutions include:
- Boomers need to be provided with quiet office spaces where they can concentrate as not only do they have a need for acoustic privacy but also some have the beginnings of hearing loss.
- Contrasting colors on flooring and in signage.
- Accessible bathrooms, hallways (passages wide enough to accommodate side by side wheelchairs), cafés and kitchenettes.
- For new construction, offices are required to provide accessible bathrooms. Please check with your local government for public accommodation laws.
Capture their Knowledge and Experience
As boomers are beginning to retire, companies are realizing that they will lose a tremendous resource of knowledge and experience.*
As an employer, it is important to focus on capturing that knowledge via technology and encouraging a knowledge sharing collaborative culture. Design can help via shared offices, collaborative spaces and provision of appropriate updated technology.
Bringing the client's brand to bear through the design of their space not only improves employees' productivity and the functionality of the space, but also ensures that the clients experience the company's brand through the proper office environment.