What It Takes to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce

Effectively managing a team that spans decades comes down to your commitment to culture and core values. 

Amy Wunderlin

How someone approaches work can be influenced by myriad outside factors—where they are from, their life experiences, and, maybe most significant for today’s workforce, how old they are. Spanning four generations, the modern workforce is at an especially unique impasse consisting of people of all ages, from 60 to 20, each with a very different outlook and preference for how they work.

Managing across decades of differences doesn’t come without its challenges, but creating cohesion among your employees doesn’t have to be complicated. By developing a strong culture and defined core values, pest management companies can attract people who may vary in age but align in fundamentals.

“I always think it comes down to culture of the company,” says Marillian Buono-Missiti, president of Buono Pest Control, which serves the greater New England area. 

As a small, family-owned business, that means finding people who identify with Buono Pest Control’s four core values: integrity, dignity, education, and accountability.

“We really focus on that, and if you’re not the ideal employee, you might just not be a good fit for the company; it doesn’t matter how old you are,” says Buono-Missiti. 

VARYING GENERATIONAL VIEWPOINTS 
To effectively manage employees across four generations, leaders must also move beyond stereotypes. Megan Thomas-Kurek, director of employee experience at Thomas Pest Services, which serves areas of upstate New York, finds this to be especially true of millennials, which make up the bulk of Thomas Pest Service’s workforce. She says they tend to get a bad rap even though their approach to work does not differ that much from the generations before them.

“The baby boomers and Gen X definitely have a more traditional approach to work, where they’re not afraid to work 40- to 60-hour weeks for the sake of getting the job done and view career growth as something that’s earned over time, opposed to kind of more instant gratification,” says Thomas-Kurek. “They (millennials) have that same mindset, but they’re also not afraid to vocalize the emphasis on having flexibility, but they’re still overall very dedicated to getting the job done.”

Gen Z is where Thomas-Kurek sees the biggest differences. The youngest generation, which is expected to make up more than a quarter of the workforce by 2035, is heavily focused on growth and purpose. 
“Boomers and the Gen Xers and millennials understand that it’s earned, not given, where Gen Z, if they’re not growing within maybe even a six-month period, they may be looking on to the next thing,” she says.
Steadying the expectations around career aspirations is a new skill leadership must maintain, as Thomas-Kurek says those entering the workforce are looking to grow much more rapidly than any other generation. She adds that at Thomas Pest Services, the first 90 days are critical in maintaining transparency about where each employee is in terms of growth potential. This is where a conversation about how someone can progress keeps Gen Z team members motivated without setting unrealistic expectations.

“We meet with every new hire, despite their position, at the 30-, 60-, and 90-day marks, checking in where they are in their training process,” she explains. “And then for us specifically, growth on the technician side comes through licensing through New York state, so at the 90-day mark, we’ll talk about what that process looks like. If they’re meeting the expectations, we’ll move them on to that next phase.” 

Buono-Missiti also notices millennials and Gen Z place a greater emphasis on recognition and feedback than their elder colleagues. 

“They want to know how they’re doing,” she says. “They need that recognition; they need to be validated. And I don’t even think it’s so much of the good versus the bad or the negative versus a positive; they just need to know how they’re doing.”

MOTIVATION BEYOND COMPENSATION
This need for purpose or validation is rising as a major factor that drives the younger workforce. Buono-Missiti says two of the youngest members of Buono Pest Control’s leadership team are motivated by helping to solve customer problems, a passion for protecting health and environment, and being part of a supportive team that values trust and loyalty.  

“And what a great industry to be part of, to have that,” says Buono-Missiti. “Through COVID, we were boots on the ground; we were an essential service and going into hospitals, and you know, there’s something to be said about that.” 

Millennials have also opened the conversation around flexibility, although this is a benefit that people of all ages are increasingly looking for in a job. The National Bureau of Economic Research has found that workers were willing to give up approximately 20% of their wages to avoid unpredictable work schedules. Furthermore, almost 40% of workers say they would not take a job with nonstandard hours, even if it paid 25% more than a 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday position.

At Thomas Pest Services, Thomas-Kurek says the company has implemented schedule options to appeal to a wide range of people. Technicians can choose to work a four- or five-day week, which she says is split about 50-50 across the team. 

CREATING TEAM COHESION 
Despite the different approaches to work across age groups, at the end of the day, bringing a team together should start during the hiring process. Pest control companies that are able to clearly communicate and live by their core principles before they ever make a hire are already on a great path to creating a team of like-minded individuals. 

“We’re so committed to our core values and how we hire into our process that we ultimately want people who are embodying that, so when it comes time to adopt them into our culture, it takes some of those pain points away,” Thomas-Kurek says. 

She adds that hiring people with similar core values makes it easier for employees to find common ground even with a 40-year age gap.

“There’s also a mutual respect,” says Thomas-Kurek. “If we’re hiring someone who’s in their 50s as a technician and someone who’s 25 is training them, they have something to learn from them, no matter what their age may be.” 

Buono-Missiti adds that encouraging different perspectives across generations is a key component to growing a successful business. 

“That next generation coming into the business and having those fresh ideas, you have to respect it, and you have to have an open mind,” she says. “My father had that with me and Steve [COO]; we were able to grow the company. He didn’t hold us down; he let us go, so I think that’s really important, family or not.”

What Each Generation Wants From a Manager

Generational preferences can offer useful clues for managers, but they should be treated as a framework, not as hard-and-fast rules. Research increasingly shows that career experience and life circumstances often matter as much as birth year. Still, understanding broad workplace patterns can help leaders communicate more effectively across teams.

BABY BOOMERS
Value experience, autonomy, and respect. They often prefer direct feedback delivered privately and appreciate recognition for loyalty and expertise. 

A practical tip: Don’t mistake independence for resistance to change. Involving them early in decisions makes transitions easier for everyone. 

GENERATION X
Motivated by flexibility, trust, and efficiency. They favor straightforward, concise feedback, and are often driven by work-life balance and professional autonomy. 

A practical tip: Skip micromanaging and focus on outcomes.

MILLENNIALS
Tend to value collaboration, growth opportunities, and purpose-driven work. Frequent feedback and coaching matter to them, as does visible career development. 

A practical tip: Explain the “why” behind decisions, not just how to do the task itself. 

GENERATION Z
Prioritize stability, transparency, and meaningful work. Many prefer regular check-ins and clear expectations, especially early in their careers. More than any other generation, they are inspired by noncompensation motivators like flexibility, mental health support, and purpose. 

A practical tip: Provide structure up front, then gradually increase independence.