In the workplace, we are all ordinary people with diverse skills, but often, we see each other as competitors. And when we meet in person or virtually, we are like potential business partners, lawyers, or professionals ready for battle for that prized office recognition. But what most organizations miss is the one who speaks human: the one who can uniquely touch lives, lift someone and affect an entire office by just being himself.
In the movie The Intern, a 70-year-old man works in a successful e-commerce fashion company built by a woman in her 30s. Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) is a retired executive from the marketing industry who got bored and opted out of retirement. Ben was hired as part of the company’s outreach program, where they hire senior citizens as interns for six months. Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) is the founder of About the Fit, where Ben is working. She amazingly built her start-up company, beginning with 25 employees and grew to 250 employees in less than a year. The office has an open-space design with no cubicles in between. Employees wear casual clothing, including Jules. On the other hand, Ben likes to maintain his coat and tie look, which he has been accustomed to wearing. He has more work experience than the others but required assistance on modern and technology matters.
Relating this movie to real life, I believe that the human resource management environment trends are constantly changing. Trends may include how everyone works, globalization and economic and technological advancements. The workforce demographics will continue to change and will become more diverse. Companies may hire more women, millennials and may again consider hiring baby boomers in the workforce, recognizing their years of knowledge, education, training, skills and expertise.
Acquiring and developing superior human capital will result in the success and profitability of the company. But, in the process and interactions, a diverse workforce requires a good and efficient CEO. Jules, the current CEO, is characterized as a hands-on founder; in every transaction of each department, she is there. She even teaches staff how to pack the items well for delivery to clients. She herself experienced an item delivered from her company that has bad packaging. As such, she tried to check with her staff in the warehouse. But as her company grew, she realized she could not do it all. She needed a helping hand. Jules accepted her assistant’s advice to shortlist possible candidates to be the next CEO. She went through profiling and interviewing, which are crucial in any position, especially for a managerial position, as this may break or make the company. With the help of her intern, Ben, she realigned her work and regained her work-life balance.
More than a decade ago, I was in the monitoring team in a geothermal power plant. I worked with department heads of various government agencies. You could imagine how diverse the group was. I was a fresh graduate at the time, working with skilled people 20 years older than me. Yes, there were conflicts, but the beauty of age diversity in the workplace is skill diversity. It brings different talents to the table.
Going back to The Intern, Ben became a mentor to his younger colleagues because he has commensurate executive skills. But he also teaches them about life in general. Experienced workers can advise younger generations to prepare them for what the future holds. The younger generation can share their technology and digital know-how with their more senior peers. They can also provide a fresh approach to dealing with company problems.
My takeaway: be flexible in every situation. Whether you are working for an older or younger boss, be involved in helping meet the organization’s goals. Work to strengthen the goal, improve weaknesses, transform opportunities and manage external threats. As the Apple tagline says, “Think Different.” If you think that you are just a subordinate, think different; If you think you cannot do it, think different; If you think you are young and you will not make it, think different; and if you think this is the end of your career or business, think different.
The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, DLSU. She can be reached at ma_glecee_marbella@dlsu.edu.ph.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.
