6. 4 Generations Include People With:
6
• Different Values
• Different Ideas
• Different Ways of Getting
Things Done
• Different Ways of
Communicating
7. Veterans: Traditionalists, Silent Generation
7
• Raised during wartime; sense
of lack or shortages
• Hard workers; physical labor
• Duty before fun
• Abides by the rules; respects
authority
• Believes in logic, not magic
• Conservative with money
• Believes in division of labor
• Seniority and age correlate
• Work and family are
separated
• Move up the ladder through
hard work and perseverance
• Tend to stay a long time in
one workplace
8. Baby Boomers
8
• Optimistic, team orientated
• Interested in health and
wellness
• Always learning; workaholics
• Loyal
• Open-minded
• Prefer face-to-face
communication
• Focus in workplace is on
process and output, not
implications and outcomes
• Job status and symbols
important
• Likes knowing their manager
knows and cares for them
personally
9. Generation X
9
• Self-reliant, latchkey children
• Balance in work and family
• Like to have fun at work
• Variety
• Tech savvy; grew up with
computers
• Approaches authority casually
• Skeptical
• Minimal supervision; prefers
flexible work hours and informal
work environment
• Focus in the workplace on
relationships, outcomes,
their rights and skills
• Easy to recruit, hard to
retain
10. Generation Y: Millennials, Echo Boomers
10
• Optimistic; confident and
sociable
• Goal setting is a priority
• Share a kinship and can-do
attitude of traditionalists,
• Teamwork ethic of boomers,
• Tech savvy of the X’ers,
• But find it difficult to relate to
boomers and X’ers
• Know what they want and
are used to getting it
• Search for colleagues with
same high ideals
• Think differently than any
other members of workforce
• Expect high starting salaries
11.
12. Communication is Key
12
Traditionalist
• Prefers clear expectations
• Avoid stereotyping
• Appreciates company
history
• Memos and one-on-one
communication
Baby Boomer
• Like to be coached for
improved performance
• Like to be asked for input and
experience
• One-on-one communication
• Call anytime, make
themselves available
Gen X
• Aren’t afraid to ask questions
(even of authority)
• Don’t do workplace politics
• Respond better to open-
ended questions
• Communicates with cell
phone but would rather be
called at work than home
Gen Y
• Responds well to mentoring by
older more seasoned
professionals (traditionalists)
• Learn of their goals and help
them develop strategies to
achieve them
• Communicates online through
email, text and social media
13. Motivators
13
Traditionalist
• Formal rather than informal
• Face-to-face; not text/email
• Explain logic of actions
• Traditional recognition
(plaques, photos, etc.)
Baby Boomer
• Need to see steps towards
defines goals
• State objectives and desired
results
• Love pep talks
• Recognition with wide public
profile (company newsletter)
Gen X
• Tell them what needs to be
done, but not how
• Give them multiple tasks, but
allow them to set priorities
• Informal recognition (day off)
• Effective leadership
• Regular honest feedback
and mentoring
Gen Y
• Provide opportunities for
continuous learning and building
skills
• Know their goals and explain
how they fit into the big picture
• Be more coach, less boss
• Communicate informally
through email and hallway
conversations
17. Generation Z: Gen 2020
17
• 23 million American born between
1994 and 2010
• Born during the financial meltdown
• Don’t know anything other than the
internet
• Entrepreneurial
• Conservative
• Diverse
• Highly educated
Colleagues who are in their 70s and began their careers with DeVry, to those in their 20s and are just starting out maybe in social media or recruiting
And they have a different way of communicating with one another
So here’s a look at the different generations in today’s workplace (note: dates shift slightly based on source cited)
Veterans lived through WWII and were raised with strict regimen that taught them to value quality and respect authority.
Baby Boomers embrace the value of having to sacrifice to get ahead and that, that very sacrifice made them even more loyal to their employers and colleagues.
Gen X is the latchkey children who watched their parents forge a new work environment. They were the first generation to grow up with computers. They care more about productivity than they do about the number of hours spent on the job.
Millennials are entrenched in technology. They multitask and bore easily. They understand how to maximize and leverage new technology better than any other generation before them and value a balance lifestyle.
According to the BLS there were 154 million people in the workforce as of March 2012
7.6M Veteran
59.8M Baby Boomers
49.4M Gen X
31.9M Gen Y
Traditionalists appreciate company history – we used to… Remember, they were the leaders of many things we now take for granted.
Traditionalists like traditional forms of recognition – your expreince is respected – your loyalty is valued
Baby Boomers like public recognition so every knowns they are valued and their contributions are important to the company’s success
Gen X prefer regular and honest feedback – do it your way – there aren’t a lot of rules here – we’re not very corporate here…
Gen Y preferes informal conversations “you and your coworkers helped turnaround the company…”
Boomers are known for their “live to work” attitude
Gen X is known for a “work to live” attitude
Gen X typically prefers more time off as opposed to an increase in salary
In 2015, Gen X and Y will be the primary service providers and Boomers the primary customer
By 2020, millennials will compromise more than 1 in 3 working adults in America
Top ideal employers are Google, Apple and Facebook
87.5% millennials disagree with the statement that “money is the best measure of success”
64% would rather make 40k a year at ajob they love rather than 100k at a job they think is boring
And 63% want their employer to contribute to a social cause they feel is important, compared to about half of Boomers and Gen X
23M Americans born between 1994 and 2010
While they haven’t entered the workforce yet, they have a different set of morals and beliefs than their predecessors
- 60% want to have an impact on the world with their jobs (compared to 39% of millennials). [Intern Sushi / CAA]
Born during the financial meltdown and don’t know the word without the internet
- 79% of display symptoms of emotional distress when kept away from their personal electronic devices. [University of Maryland]
They will become the most entrepreneurial, conservative, diverse and educated generation in the world.
50% of Gen Z’s will be unviersity educated compared to 33% of millennials and 25% of Gen X. [JWT]
61% of Gen Z would rather be an entrepreneur instead of an employee when they graduate college. [Millennial Branding / Internships.com]
