Throughout history, multiple generations have always worked alongside each other – but never have there been as many stark differences as there are now. Technological advancements within the past 20-30 years have only further accentuated these differences.

The generations currently in, or preparing to enter, the workforce are:

Traditionalists: Born during or before 1945

Baby Boomers: Born between 1946 and 1964

Generation X: Born between 1965 and 1979

Generation Y, or Millennials: Born between 1980 and 1997

Generation Z: Born during or after 1998

Construction is one of the few industries in which all five of these generations work alongside each other. Such a multigenerational workforce leads to employee teams of many different ages, experiences, and views on structure, leadership, and technological proficiency – to name a few differences.

It’s worth noting that these generational differences aren’t a matter of right or wrong; rather, they’re results of the different circumstances these workers have respectively experienced.

While this article focuses on recruiting and retaining the next generations, remember that every employee – regardless of his or her generation – is an individual. Generalizations are helpful in efficiently learning how best to work with large groups of people, but the most effective way to lead individuals is to treat them as such.