Positive About Inclusion’s Inclusion Forum North East took place on 20th May 2026 at the Northern Design Centre in Gateshead kindly sponsored by Recite Me, web accessibility software and solutions experts.
Our 11th event was called ‘The Generation Game – Managing Generational Diversity in the Workplace’ and our Directors Lucy and Karen facilitated a structured exploration of the various generational groups (from Boomers to Gen Alpha) and the opportunities and potential pitfalls from multiple generations working side by side.
We started with an icebreaker – The Workplace Time Machine. Attendees were asked to partner up with a new connection and to introduce themselves to each other as well as exploring some Time Machine Tin Openers such as “A workplace norm from the past that I don’t mis is….” and “My best manager did this…” What a great way to hear about everyone’s lived experience of the workplace and to learn more about the hugely diverse range of individuals in the room.
We also had the pleasure of welcoming Mark Anderson from Recite Me who kindly shared his personal insight into the positive impact that can be made when an organisation does generational inclusion well, and that this can be a differentiator in a competitive recruitment landscape!
When considering generational differences, it can be easy to fall back on assumptions and stereotype. There is a wealth of research available on this fascinating subject and Lucy presented a round-up of some of the prevalent challenges generational diversity in the workplace can present with top tips for people managers drawn from the research available and the cross sector best practice we’ve identified. Following the event, attendees were provided with a useful resource summarising the top tips and research shared.
If you would like this useful resource or want to register your interest in future Inclusion Forum North East events, please get in touch.
