There are some problems you grow out of. Youth, for instance; that is something only the years can cure. But in today’s fast-changing world, young workers — separated from their seniors by a huge digital divide — are proving next to impossible for traditional companies to assimilate.

It doesn’t matter in the IT or the business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors. These are new and have no legacy corporate cultures. The same is true of other sectors that are just taking off — retail, for instance, which will be one of the biggest employment generators of the future. But traditional sectors such as manufacturing are also adding on big numbers. And it is here that a clash of civilisations is taking place.

“These youngsters are totally uncivilised,” says Ajit Pawar, who has put in 35 years with a frontline steel manufacturer. “When you talk to them, they seem to be paying attention. But it’s actually their iPod they are listening to. And if you tell them anything, they say that their generation has been taught how to multitask.”

The grouse of the old about the young is historical, no doubt. Some 2,500 years ago, Plato had said: “What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders. They disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?”

That happens with each generation. What is new today is the digital divide. If you look at available HR literature on the induction of young workers, the big thing seems to be how to protect them from being exposed to undue hazards and being bullied. Today, the young worker is likely to be better educated than the people he is joining. He has seen more of life. He knows he is replacing dinosaurs. He is far more likely to be doing the bullying, if only on a technology plane.

Abigger problem arises in his interaction with customers. In India, this is bound to happen in retail and in the call centre part of BPO operations. In the US, some retail chains are calling people out of retirement to man their stores. The pace of life has speeded up considerably. Your grandmother would spend a minute on each tomato before buying a kilo. Your granddaughter will buy it over the Net. When the twain (even one generation apart) interact, it is difficult to adjust.

Columnist Cara Spiro outlines some important attributes of generation Y. They want:

Employers who live up to their high expectations.

Fair and direct managers.

Acceptance and acknowledgement of their multitasking abilities.

Control over their work content.

Goals and challenges.

Flexibility at work.

A better work-life balance.

HR professionals have to struggle with these needs. The failure to understand them is what is leading to very high attrition rates. It never is just money; job satisfaction counts more.

In most cases, these problems are internal to the company. It is the retail sector snafus that will make news. It already has. A pink paper recently sent its staff as mystery customers to various stores. When they created a fuss, the response was mixed. Here’s the report on a Noida outlet: “I don’t have testers for you,” said a brusque salesgirl. “But at Westside we tried 10 shades of nail polish,” the aunties argued back. “Then you go back there,” the salesgirl said testily.

HR practitioners agree that training is imperative. But they also agree that most companies don’t have the time or the resources to do it. Unfortunately, HR is also an area where the young don’t seem to want to move into. The trainers remain on the wrong side of the digital divide.

GROWING PAINS

Younger workers are more dissatisfied with their jobs

68% of older workers are satisfied with their jobs as against 55% of younger workers.

59% of older workers say they derive personal pride from their jobs; 37% of younger workers feel this way.

64% of older workers care about the fate of their organisations as against 47% of younger workers.

More than half the workers polled have “buyer’s remorse” about choosing their current employer over others.

Source: Harris Interactive poll of 7,718 US adults