Women’s Entrepreneurship Day: women leading the transformation of the energy sector
Nov 19, 2024
Committed
Diversity is a quality in any work setting. Companies, as part of society, understand the need to protect and encourage it in their teams, but they are also increasingly aware of its relevance.
Bringing together senior and junior talent is a good example of enriching diversity, because a team made up of people with different characteristics, experiences and visions brings different perspectives and this strengthens an organisation.
According to studies on ‘Intergenerational Talent’ and ‘Intergenerational Leadership’ by the Generation and Talent Observatory, companies today have increasingly heterogeneous workforces in terms of age and it is not uncommon to find between three and five generations living together in the same work situation: the Traditionalist Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y (millennials) and Generation Z. They also state that none of them have the same way of doing things, share the exact same values, knowledge and life circumstances. However, the common denominator is that they are all a source of wealth for an organisation.
In this blog we have already said that when faced with a challenge, all ideas and points of view are often welcome in order to find a solution. And this is precisely what happens in the face of a challenge such as the energy transition; the convergence of talent becomes essential.
All available talent is required, regardless of the diversity variable in which it resides, such as age. From a generational point of view, the sum of experience becomes a competitive advantage.
Combining senior and junior talent helps develop stronger, more resilient and cohesive teams. Companies must harmonise new knowledge with experience; novelty with tradition; new models of communication with traditional relationship management; etc.
The sum of experience becomes a competitive advantage
Moreover, collaborative work between people of different ages favours the development of skills and ideas to promote innovative projects, as required by the energy transition. And the diversity of values, motivations, priorities, knowledge and experiences allows for more robust solutions. Why? Because reaching consensus is more complex, different options are analysed and the diversity of conclusions minimises exposure to risk in decision-making.
Intergenerational diversity must be part of company strategy and driven by senior management
For this to happen, this intergenerational diversity must be part of company strategy and driven by senior management, encouraging people to co-create and generate value for the whole.
Senior talent is key to solving all kinds of challenges, providing the expertise to identify and address the most critical issues. In addition, their leadership and decision-making skills in difficult situations can be of great value in times of uncertainty.
On the other hand, junior talent is key to innovation and the introduction of new ideas and technologies. Young talents bring a fresh approach and a unique perspective on problems, coupled with their ability to think “outside the box” and come up with creative solutions.
The combination of senior and junior talent in all fields, and especially in the field of energy transition, can be highly effective
Moreover, hiring young professionals is an opportunity to develop the workforce with a better use of resources: the challenge for companies is to find and hire the best, but developing talent is in the hands of the company itself. Increasingly, a team of professionals with the competencies and skills needed to cope with the realities of today’s world is essential.
Accordingly, the combination of senior and junior talent in all fields, and especially in the field of energy transition, can be highly effective. There is no doubt that companies that encourage intergenerational diversity and inclusion in their workforce can have an advantage in the race towards decarbonisation and sustainability.