3 Things HR Must Do to Build Gentelligence

Is a multigenerational workforce an opportunity or a threat? It might be up to HR.

Research is clear on this: it depends on how that age diversity is managed and the workplace culture that surrounds it. Really. That is the linchpin on all of this, which means it’s entirely up to your organization to do what it takes to turn what most see as frustration into an incredibly valuable human capital asset.

How? Multiple studies have confirmed that there are key HR practices that can help turn the corner on this. In fact, these are vital to creating what we call an “age-inclusive” or “age-friendly” workplace culture, defined as one where all employees (not just older ones) believe their age is not a hindrance to learning, advancement, or support.

To quote the original researchers Boehm, Kunze, & Bruch, an age-inclusive climate is one where “not only should older employees feel free from age-related discrimination but so should younger workers”.  When employees feel this way, age diversity results in innovation, performance, engagement, and lower turnover. If they don’t feel this way, the results are the exact opposite.This research is solid, with a sample of 93 different organizations and over 14,000 employees.  When these age-inclusive HR practices (age-neutral recruiting, equal access to training, and equal promotion opportunities) were present, it positively influenced the development of an age-diversity climate within organizations, and that age-diversity climate ultimately resulted in better company performance and lower collective turnover intentions among employees.

So what are these 3 magical HR practices? According to research by Boehm and colleagues in the journal Personnel Psychology (one of the top journals in our field!), there’s a trifecta. I’ve added some actionable Gentelligence ideas to each one to get you started:

1. Take an age-neutral approach to recruiting and development: 

First, let’s take a hard look at your job descriptions, folks. Let’s check that job posting language. Are you signaling an age preference, maybe without even realizing it?

• • Replace “energetic” with “motivated” or “high-performing”
  • Focus on skills and competencies rather than years of experience
  • Avoid age-specific phrases like “fresh graduate” or “mature professional”
  • Ask yourself why you specify a certain number of years of experience for a particular role. Even something seemingly innocent like “5-7 years experience preferred” could effectively discourage candidates on BOTH ends of the age spectrum. In 2025, do you really stand behind that number and range? Why? Are you willing to lose either more experienced talent (who might not apply if they have say 27 years of experience instead of 7) or younger candidates who could come in fresh off of learning critical skills your company is trying to build? Think about it.

How about your recruitment and interview process?

• • Share your job opportunities with various professional organizations representing different age groups
  • Ensure recruitment materials show employees over a wide range of age. If you’re open to older candidates interning as a way to start a new career chapter, do they see people similar to themselves in those internship postings on LinkedIn?
  • I hope this goes without saying, but:
    • Remove date fields for graduation or earlier employment where possible
    • Don’t require birth dates or photos (if you are requiring this then I am worried for your HR department)
    • If using AI to screen and filter resumes, double check you haven’t unconsciously embedded any age-loaded bias into your process
    • Use blind resume screening techniques

• • Think carefully about the benefits and drawbacks of taped video interviews or even virtual-only interviewing. As candidates of all ages are prioritizing value alignment and a sense of identification with their employers, those time-saving recruitment measures can signal your organization doesn’t have the time to connect personally with their people.

• Recognize the interests and priorities of different age groups and life stages:
  • Research shows that all of us, regardless of age, value flexibility and autonomy. That said, the type of flexible arrangement that might appeal to your employees may vary based on career stage, life stage, or even amount of experience. For example, my students consistently report that they do NOT want remote-only jobs, as they are focused on building their professional and personal networks, need to learn the ropes, and need opportunities to stand out and impress their managers, all things that are hard to do via Zoom. That said, few of them want a fully in-person job that has no flexibility, hoping instead for something in the middle. People in my career and life stage (I’m 47) also want flexibility, but may define that differently or want it for different reasons, including balancing caring for children and aging parents. Those in latter phases of life and career may want to be helping out with their grandchildren, have more opportunities to travel, or even slowly ramping down their work hours as they explore retirement options.
  • When it comes to benefits, top companies are already exploring how variable options might better support employees across age and life stages. For example, those in later career stages have shown great interest in grandparent leave, while my fellow Gen-Xers are finding themselves in need of eldercare support right now. Younger workers are expressing a need for new kinds of benefits as well, including home-buying assistance and access to emergency funds.
  • All generations and ages can benefit from cross-generational learning and mutual mentoring. Older employees often report few opportunities for development, something that can negatively impact their engagement and retention. Younger workers are being shamed for not coming in with “basic” life or professional skills. Rather than the never-successful approach of shaming people for not learning the same things you did by their age, meet them where they are at and offer to programs that can help fill those gaps.
• Promote and value the contributions of all ages: It can be easy to fall into the trap of putting more attention on the newest skills (AI anyone?), but keep in mind that there are many different kinds of knowledge needed in the workplace. For example, your youngest employees might be coming in the door with the latest AI skills, but those with more years of experience are well-positioned to complement that know-how with some “know-when”, “know-why”, helping to align the transition to AI with company values. Here’s some actionable ideas to make sure all kinds of experience and knowledge are showcased to their fullest:
  • Create platforms for employees of all ages to share their expertise. This makes it easy to share your skills or to ask for help, and can also build fantastic and unexpected intergenerational relationships in the workplace.
  • Feature diverse age representation in success stories and case studies (how about highlighting some of those intergenerational friendships?)
  • Ensure leadership development programs include all age groups
  • Proactively encourage intergenerational points of view through intergenerational employee resource groups or roundtables, especially ones that focus on timely challenges for the organization.
  • Focus on results and contributions rather than years of experience. One of the top frustrations for younger employees are arbitrary timeline for promotion. It’s fine to be firm on the skills and contributions that need to happen prior to advancement, but revisit whether that always occurs on a set, inflexible timeline.

Why do these matter so much? According to the article, these HR practices accomplish two key things: first, they signal to your employees of all ages that they are committed to treating them fairly (this is known as the “signaling effect”). Second, when HR practices consistently demonstrate fairness across age groups, employees develop a shared understanding that age differences are valued and supported in their own company (known as “collective sensemaking”).

I’m passionate about taking academic research insights and turning them into actionable tools for leaders. That’s what Gentelligence is all about. Let me know what steps you are taking to make these changes in your organization.