The Multigenerational Workforce: View from the National Adult Protective Services Training Center
 

By Chris Dubble, MSW, and Katie Wilson, MS, of the National Adult Protective Services Training Center

Edited by Kendra Kuehn, MSW, APS TARC Subject Matter Expert

July 2024

The U.S. workforce primarily encompasses four generations from baby boomers (born 1946-1964) to Gen Z (born 1997-2012), with each generation bringing unique needs and perspectives. Generations are defined by being born in specific time periods with shared experiences and common influences that may shape their values, perspectives, and behaviors. These differences influence training preferences. Baby boomers may prefer face-to-face training and hands-on experiences, Gen Xers (born 1965-1980) may want clear plans and expectations, millennials (born 1981-1996) may prefer teamwork, structure, and use of technology, and Gen Zers are generally tech savvy and favor gamification (Hansman & McAtee, 2009, Sharma, 2023). But researchers caution these are only generalizations, and styles may differ based on individual background.

Throughout their careers and in standing up the first National Adult Protective Services Training Center (NATC), the National Adult Protective Services Association’s (NAPSA) Chris Dubble and Katie Wilson bring significant experience in training and managing a multigenerational workforce. The NATC was first funded in 2021 by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective Services and is housed at NAPSA. It is the first federally funded APS training system with over 6,000 users and over 30 courses for APS. Chris is NAPSA’s director of training and has nearly 25 years of training experience with protective services. Over his career Chris has experience from direct practice as a hospital social worker to serving as the Institute on Protective Services director at Temple University Harrisburg. Katie serves as NAPSA’s instructional designer and has over 15 years in the APS field in Texas ranging from investigator to training and curriculum designer. Chris, Katie, and the NATC team support training for more than 6,000 multigenerational users. They shared their perspectives on the challenges, triumphs, and best practices in supporting a multigenerational APS workforce.
 

Multigenerational Workforce Challenges

Chris and Katie share their thoughts on the challenges of a multigenerational workforce. They agree that one of the biggest challenges is when individuals become stuck in their own generational viewpoint and do not adapt to changes or acknowledge the perspective of others. Katie gives the example that younger generations are moving toward prioritizing work-life balance as well as a desire to impact the world. How well an organization meets these needs may influence whether they are willing to commit to the job.
 

Falling into a trap of oversimplification of generations is also a challenge facing trainers and administrators. While generations are defined by a common time period and shared experiences, Chris emphasizes that every learner has their own individual culture and experiences in addition to the shared context. He explains that the generational framework is a helpful start, but trainers need to be person-centered and strengths based. Hansman and McAtee similarly comment that understanding generational differences is not the only knowledge needed for training.

Training Many Generations — Workers to Supervisors

Katie observes one of the overarching principles in adult learning curriculum development and training — relevancy. Regardless of generational views, workers want to know why they are spending the time in training and how it applies to their daily work. For all generations, trainers can connect through case studies and discussion. Once the training is relevant,  Chris says that consideration should be given to the education not being a one-size-fits-all approach. Boomers may want face-to-face training, Gen X is more experiential, millennials often want reliance on technology and workforce, while Gen Z is more technologically focused and may benefit from online interactivity and short video clips. Trainers can keep presentations varied and do what’s best for all learners.
 

Chris remarks that education for supervisors needs to support them in being strengths-based and person centered as well. In training supervisors, he encourages them to understand what research says on generations but also getting to know each individual on their team and understanding their unique background. For example, while Gen Z is assumed to be very computer savvy, a young caseworker may have grown up in an environment that did not have the same education and support for digital literacy as their counterparts. As Chris comments, the supervisor’s and administration’s jobs are to provide a supportive organizational culture for each team member.

Multigenerational Users and Staff of the NATC

The NATC is available at all times and includes a few users from overseas. Chris notes in developing the NATC the team decided to make it as relevant as possible with case scenarios and interactive features. In future courses, they are looking at a variety of training models to reach all types of learners and meet their individual needs. Some courses will be more video based while others will be more interactive. Chris also highlights the potential for microlearning courses, or short courses, that users can take when they have short periods of downtime or feel the need to brush up on a specific concept. As director, he emphasizes that learners of all ages have retention challenges, especially with complex concepts in a busy environment. Microlearning is a multigenerational learning format that emphasizes a focus on immediate need and relevance of the learning. 
 

Katie again emphasizes the importance of relevancy regardless of the learning style used. She is especially proud of courses that are directly linked to an APS worker’s day-to-day experience including trauma-informed practices and cognitive assessments. The trauma-informed practices course includes an interactive activity allowing the user to move through a case as the worker, making decisions and receiving feedback. While this type of approach may initially be most attractive to younger generations, Katie notes that generations also expand their preferences and evolve when exposed to new styles. By varying the style of courses, NATC can reach across the generations and introduce new approaches.
 

In addition to serving a multigenerational base, the NATC team itself crosses several generations. When asked how the team is able to be successful in a multigenerational environment, both Chris and Katie emphasize the importance of the unique views and experiences of each NATC staff member. As the team’s leader, Chris notes the importance of recognizing the experience he brings while also being open to the diverse thoughts of younger staff. Different staff may push for new ideas that others may not have initially provided, like micro-learnings to fit new learning opportunities into a busy schedule or just-in-time trainings to provide on-the-spot refreshers of specific topics. He works to create an open and embracing environment that allows the staff to bring forth diverse opinions and ideas.

Strength in Embracing Generational Diversity

While generations may have different learning preferences, Chris, Katie, and the literature emphasize that adult learners have a common need for continuous, relevant, accessible training. Chris concludes that a multigenerational workforce is a form of diversity that should be a part of all workplaces. He observes, “If we only hire people similar to us, we lose a lot. Different people push different ideas.” Katie added, “It’s the types of experiences and backgrounds someone’s bringing. They are going to bring a different lens.”

Resources

• National APS Training Center

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