How UG2 Makes the Most Out of Our Remarkable Diverse Teams
UG2 is proud of the rich diversity that allows our company to excel. Our dynamic and innovative teams truly represent the communities we serve, and that includes contributions from every generation contributing to today’s workforce.
Tapping into these talented individuals requires planning, intention, and reflection. It demands that we open ourselves up to different perspectives and points of view, and that we welcome and act on feedback. Fortunately, UG2 goes above and beyond in meeting the challenge, and the effort is well spent because the return on our investment only grows over time.
Five Generations at an Intersection
At UG2, many of our teams have a mix of all five generations working together. Today’s facility services workforce is seeing longstanding leaders leave the industry as the Greatest, or Silent, generation, and older Baby Boomers retire or wind down their careers—these older generation of workers is also one of the fastest growing segments. Gen X and Millennials comprise a robust middle, and the new wave of Gen Z employees is making their mark. Those five generations are working together at a point where many organizations are adopting a flatter organization or horizontal management structure—which means five generations can often be found working shoulder to shoulder, and that is especially true in facility management.
The data shows that while managing a multigenerational workforce has its challenges, doing so successfully is a huge boon to companies, well beyond promoting productivity and retention. Our experience backs this up, as we reap the benefits of everything from creative problem solving to more informed decision making thanks to a broader base of input.
Communication, Training, and Promoting from Within
Among the most important components contributing to our success managing a multigenerational workforce are transparency and communication. The need for these qualities is magnified when you have different generations who learn and communicate differently. We prioritize taking the time to understand each other’s preferences and comfort zones, and we work hard to honor boundaries and model respect for differences.
Another key factor to successfully managing a multigenerational workforce is UG2’s investment in training, mentoring and professional development. Our first-of-its-kind Training and Innovation Lab is only one aspect of UG2’s comprehensive offerings. We work continuously to advance our offerings around professional development and skills-building, and that includes refining the soft skills that are so critical for exceptional customer service and operating as part of a healthy, high-functioning team.
Providing genuine opportunities for professional growth goes hand-in-hand with training and development. From our first screenings of prospective employees, we work to identify employees who are motivated to grow professionally. We support those individuals through one-on-one mentoring, encourage and support them in their quest to develop new skills and knowledge, and reward them with increased responsibilities and promotions within the company.
Making Good on a Foundational Promise
When our founder Lou Lanzillo launched UG2 more than 10 years ago, he and his team built the company with the goal of cultivating the next generation of leaders. They had each benefited in their own way from decades of mentorship, guidance and instruction from others throughout their own careers. They’d seen firsthand the impact that genuine support can have on someone coming up through the industry.
They understood that when teams are misaligned, job performance and productivity are impacted in a huge way. To guard against that dynamic, they created a culture that prioritized understanding the values and forces that shape the many individuals who make up our passionate, diverse, ever-growing teams, and UG2 and our customers benefit from that foresight every day.