Understanding the Generational Gaps

How to Understand the Generation Gaps….. Each generation is shaped by life-defining, socio-historical and economic events. Things like Wars, Corporate Layoffs, Single Parent Households, and Technological Progress, all have an impact in shaping the various generations. With all these changes, it has become even more challenging in identifying the various motivators, the learning styles and the things people need in order to be satisfied, and understand how to best work together.

As time moves forward, we will continue to see multiple generations working together, which will pose more challenges to employers. Employers will need to be more creative and flexible when meeting future generational needs on how and when they get the work done. Gen Y and Gen Z, don’t see the value or need of working a typical 9 to 5 work schedule. They will get the job done, but they will want more flexibility and work/life balance.

Recently, I heard a story from a GM who hired a very successful sales professional from Gen Y. The Sales Rep. had been working on a business deal with a young CEO. The Sales Rep. approached his GM and explained he was playing virtual computer games with the CEO late at night and wanted to know if he could get compensated. The GM considered this time to be fruitful to the relationship, he ensured the representative was compensated and he didn’t care what hours he worked. “Just as long as the job got done and he put in a decent week of work (whatever hours and days of the week he selected).” Although sales professionals typically have more flexibility with their schedule, employers will need to look at ways of adapting similar methods for other functional areas or run the risk of losing talent.

Highlighted below are some of the behaviors and traits of the various generations. 

Baby Boomers Born 1946 -1964 A Period of Growth & Prosperity-
*Faithful to the team and cooperative. Optimistic and ambitious.
*Baby Boomers like to have personal relationships with their managers. *Baby Boomers have always been driven by the organization.
*Boomers are  retiring, but they are reinventing themselves and have multiple careers or they seek out opportunities to volunteer their time.

Gen X Born 1965-1980 Multiple Parents Working-
*Gen X is also referred to as the latchkey kids. They often had to be self-sufficient, while their parents were at work. They tend to be loyal to their manager (the decision maker), are self-reliant and willing to take risk. *Enjoys a more informal working relationship with their manager.
*Gen X prefers to have a work/life balance. It isn’t unusual to see gaps in their resume because they decided to take time away from their career to travel and see the world. They tend to be more skeptical.
*This generation may also be referred to as the boomerang generation. They were children of the Baby Boomers and often had to move back in with their parents in their 20’s because of the downturn in the economy.

Gen Y Born 1981-2000 Technology & Rise of Social Media. Introduction of Google-
 *Gen Y tends to be loyal to their colleagues. They tend to be hopeful and need meaningful work.
*They may start out wanting to be an entrepreneur, but they tend to not be full risk takers and will go back into the corporate environment. Don’t be surprised to see on their resume they have worked for themselves at one point in time.
*Prefers a very casual relationship with their manager.  
*They follow and will leave an employer in groups. Gen Y is more likely to tell their boss when they disagree with something.
*Gen Y will tend to be obedient to their immediate supervisors' rules, but more likely to persistently seek exceptions to inflexible employment conditions and seniority-based rewards.
*Gen Y’s are very social and politically involved.
*Diversity and change is highly valued amongst this group.
*Gen Y is self-directed, results-oriented, and seek advancement opportunities.

Gen Z Born after 1994 A Decade of War and Economic Uncertainty. Fully Accustom to Using Technology and Sharing Information Freely-
*This group will be very creative and collaborative. They will be able to synthesize things quickly and multi-tasking comes easily, because they are accustomed to doing multiple things at one time.
*Gen Z tends to have a shorter attention span. They will require information to be fed in short-term burst.
*Gen Z will gravitate towards people and organizations that show an ability to take care of them (security).  
*One-on-one communications may be a challenge for this group. They grew up communicating using technical devices.
*Gen Z is more likely to vent online about their boss or organization.
*Gen Z’s are very tech savvy. This is the first generation that is 100% integrated with technology. They grew up with the internet, text messaging, cell phones and MP3 players.
*Similar to Gen Y, this group values diversity and are accustom to having social circles that include people from different ethnic groups, races and religions.

We hope this overview helps in understanding some of the differences in all of us.