Managing Generations in the Workforce · 1981 – 1995 Millennial’s or Generation Y 21 - 37 1996 – Generation Z or Digital Natives 20 or younger Please note: While many generational

Managing Generations in the Workforce

Prepared By: Tracy DiBiase, PHRHR Centric SolutionsTracy@hrcentricsolutions.com239-313-3137

“All generalizations are dangerous, even this one”

Alexandre Dumas, 1824-1895

Disclaimer

Answer This

What Is A Generation?

What Is A Generation

• A generation is a group of people born during the same period and shares the same attitudes and values

• Significant Life Events that occur between 7-18 shape our attitudes, outlook and influence.

• Generations are shaped by history and events, technological advances, social changes, economic conditions, popular culture, etc.

• Looks at their generation as the standard of comparison

• Those born on the “cusp” may have a blended set of characteristics

The Generation Gap• Generational differences represent a critical new

aspect to workplace diversity.

• How you view generational differences is based on your generational perspective.

Lets Take a Look

The Generations

Year Born Nicknames 2016 Ages

1928 – 1944 Silent Generation, Veterans or

Traditionalists73+

1944 – 1964 Baby Boomers 54 - 72

1965 – 1980 Generation X 38- 53

1981 – 1995 Millennial’s or Generation Y 21 - 37

1996 – Generation Z or Digital Natives 20 or younger

Please note: While many generational experts have laid out age ranges to define the members of generations,

these are just guidelines. There is really no magic birth date that makes you part of a particular generation.

Generational Snapshot of Workforce

Traditionalists, 2%

Baby Boomers, 29%

Generation X, 34%

Millennials, 34%

Gen Z, 1%

Generational Snapshot of Workforce

Generations in 2020

• Traditionalists = 1%

• Baby Boomers = 22 % (nearly 70 million are expected to retire

by that time).

• Generation X = 20%.

• Millennials = 50%

• Generation Z = 7%

2014 global study by Oxford Economics

Traditionalists- Born 1925 - 1945

Childhood

• Raised by the GI Generation (civic)

• Large families (3-5 children)

• Strong sense of extended family (same town or home)

• Grandparents in the home

• Average 10-year-old spent 4-6 hours daily with a significant adult role model

• Rural society

• Apprenticeship businesses and farming

Traditionalists- Born 1925 - 1945

Facts and Core Values

Dedication/Sacrifice/Loyal

Hard Work

Conformity

Law and Order

Respect for Authority

Believe in Chain of Command

Patience

Duty Before Pleasure

Adherence to Rules

• Detail Oriented

• Hardworking

• “Waste Not Want Not”

• Cautious

Traditionalists: Defining Events• The Great Depression

• Social Security Established

• Golden Age of Radio

• Pearl Harbor Attacked

• WW II and Korean War

• Patriotism

• Rise of Labor Unions

• Radio

• Prohibition

Traditionalists: Heroes

• Superman

• MacArthur, Patton, Halsey,Montgomery, Eisenhower

• FDR

• Winston Churchill

• Audie Murphy

• Babe Ruth

• Joe DiMaggio

Did you ever use one of these???

The Traditionalists First Computer

Baby Boomers- Born 1946 - 1964

Childhood

• Two Parents

• Families moved due to GI Bill

• First generation to live miles from extended family

• Family size smaller (2-3 children)

• Few grandparents in the home

• Moms stayed home – no daycare

• Children spent significant time with adult role models (mostly mom)

• Perception of the world as “safe”

Baby Boomers- Born 1946 - 1964

• Optimistic

• Competitive

• “Me Generation”

• Health And Wellness

• Personal Growth

• Work Involvement

• Service Oriented

•Driven

•Willing To Go The Extra Mile

•Good Team Players

•Fair Compensation

•Familiar Work Teams

•Steadiness

•Work Is Work

Boomers: Defining Events• Economic Prosperity

• Expansion of Suburbia

• Focus on Children

• Television

• Vietnam

• Assassinations

• Civil Rights Movement

• Cold War/McCarthy Hearings

• Space Race/Moon Landing

Baby Boomers: Heroes

• Ghandi

• Martin Luther King Jr.

• John and Jacqueline Kennedy

• John Glenn

• Feminist Movement

Remember these……

Boomer’s First Computer

Generation X Born 1965 - 1980

Childhood• Divorce reached an all-time high

• Single-parent families became the norm

• Latch-key kids

• Children not as valued – looked at as a hardship

• Families spread out (miles apart)

• Family size = 1.7 children (many only-children)

• Perception of the world as “unsafe”

• Average 10 year old spent 14 ½ minutes a day with a significant adult role model

Generation X Born 1965 - 1980

Facts and Core Values• Fun

• Informal

• Non Traditional About Time And Space

• Independent/ Initiative

• Skeptical

• Work To Live, Not Live To Work

• Full Responsibilities In Work Assignments

• Flexible Work Schedules, Rules And Regulations

•Change

•Fun Diversions

•Diversity

•Thinking Globally

•Balance

•Technology

•Personal Development

•Fair Compensation

•Familiar Work Teams

Gen X’ers: Defining Events

• Watergate, Nixon resigns

• Challenger Disaster

• Computers

• Single-parent homes

• Latchkey Kids

• MTV

• AIDS

• Harsh economic conditions

• Glasnost, Perestroika

• Persian Gulf

Gen X’ers: Heroes ?

• Oprah Winfrey

• Bill Gates & Steve Jobs

• Michael Jackson

• Michael Jordan

• Things, animation…

Remember these…..

Gen X’s First Computer

Was this your first video game?

Was this your first calculator and cell phone?

Millennial’s Born 1981 – 1995

• “Wanted” generation

• Record number of divorces.– 1 in 4 lives in a single-parent household.

• Both mothers and fathers work and take part in child-rearing.– 3 in 4 have working mothers.

• The most monumental financial boom in history.

• Steady income growth through the 1990’s.

• Saw their parents lose all their stocks and mutual funds (college funds) during the early 2000’s.

Childhood

• Heavy parent involvement “Helicopter Parents”

• First generation where children had schedules

• 77% seek parent advice regularly

• 1 in 5 still live with parents as adults (36% female,43% male)

• Trophy Kids

• Prize with every meal

• Trophy with every team (win or lose)

• Special events documented and shared

• Center of Attention

• Seek instant gratification/recognition for effort

• Individualistic and yet group-oriented

• Digital Savvy and

Focused

• Like Freedom And

Flexible Work

Schedules.

• Very Demanding

• Want A Wide Range Of

Projects To Work On

As Well As Challenging

And Meaningful Work.

• They Need Structure, Supervision, And Look For Immediate Gratification And Feedback.

• Informal

• Multi-taskers

• Teamwork Oriented,

• Enjoy Group Endeavors

• Well-educated

Millennials: Defining Events

• Technology

• Social Media

• Reality TV

• Multiculturalism

• Desert Storm

• Clinton Scandals

• School Shootings

• Oklahoma City Bombing

• 9/11

Millennials: Heroes ?

• Michael Jordan

• Princess Diana

• Mother Teresa

• Lance Armstrong

This is what millennials grew up with?

Gen Z Born 1996 – Present

• Gen Z’ers have a different experience of family—same-sex

households, working moms, stay-at-home dads, three-parent

families, and couples choosing not to have kids.

• They witnessed the struggles of Millennials, older siblings,

many still living at home and have resolved to do things

differently.

Childhood

Gen Z Born 1996 – Present

• Digital Natives

• The Internet, technology, war, terrorism, the recession, and social media shape their lives.

• Social media has connected them globally to their peers.

• They are flexible in nature and expect flexibility from institutions.

• They are accepting of diverse populations.

• The internet has connection them globally to knowledge.

• They are bright, and their IQ scores are higher than previous generations.

• You Tube

Generation Z: Defining Events

• School Shootings Violence- Columbine

• 9/11

• No Child Left Behind

• First African American President

• Gay Marriage

• Cyberbullying Laws

• Social Media, Facebook, Twitter

• Failing Economy

• Affordable Health Care Act

• Family Cell Phone Plans

• First Texting

• Smart Phones

Generation Z

How Do We Manage the Different Generations?

Traditionalists

We Work For Food and Shelter

Traditionalists at WorkAssets

• Stable

• Detail oriented

• Thorough

• Loyal

• Hard working

Liabilities

• Inept w/ambiguity and change

• Reluctant to buck the system

• Uncomfortable with conflict

• Reticent when they disagree

Traditionalists Changes in the Workforce

• Traditionalists have experienced the most change in their lifetime. They have had to adapt to:

– Computers

– Communication channels changing

– World getting smaller

– Keeping up with rapid increases in information

– Move from content to process

• Traditionalists

– Take the time to get to know their background, experiences, work preferences, and personal needs.

– To communicate to them be patient and take the time to explain new ideas

– They like to be asked for advice, then expect you to listen to them.

– Use the personal touch. Thank them in writing.

Managing Generations

• Traditionalists

– Veterans want to work in an atmosphere with living, breathing humans, not voice mail or emails.

– Remember that they did not grow up with computers.

– They may have adapted to more change in their lives than any currently working generation.

Baby Boomers

We Live to Work!

Boomers at WorkAssets

• Service oriented

• Driven

• Willing to “go the extra mile”

• Good at relationships

• Want to please

• Good team players

Liabilities

• Not naturally “budget minded”

• Uncomfortable with conflict

• Reluctant to go against peers

• Put process ahead of results

• Sensitive to feedback

• Judgmental of those who see things differently

• Baby Boomers

– They grew up knowing that to survive they had to work and to work hard.

– They want to be challenged and valued; they want to be part of success.

– To communicate with boomers show them respect for their skills, knowledge, and potential.

– Give them clear goals and guidelines with the freedom and flexibility to do things their way.

• Baby Boomers

– Provide opportunity

– Value personal gratification

– Seek high achievement

– Motivate with public recognition

• Baby Boomers

– Put in team situations

– Give credit and respect for their accomplishments

– Provide a warm, humane workplace along with a dynamic work environment

– Set their course, show them where they can make a difference

• Baby Boomers

– Use the personal approach (“I really need you to do this for me.”)

– Give lots of public recognition

– Give them a chance to prove themselves and their worth

– Involve them in decision-making

– Reward their work ethic and long work hours

Generation X

We Work to Live!

Gen X’ers at Work

Assets

• Adaptable

• Techno-literate

• Independent

• Not intimidated by authority

• Creative

Liabilities

• Impatient

• Poor people skills

• Cynical

• Generation X

– Show genuine concern for their lives

– Do not over-manage

– Ask their opinion and clearly use their recommendations

– Create a fun environment

• Generation X

– Encourage freedom in establishing their workspace

– Offer flexible work arrangement

– Be direct and straightforward

– Manage by objectives

– Look for opportunities for them to develop others

Millennials

We Work to Make A

Difference!

Millennials at Work

Assets

• Loyalty

• Optimism

• Tolerant

• Multi-tasking

• Fast-thinking

• Technological savvy

Liabilities

• Need for supervision and structure

• Inexperience, particularly with handling different people issues

• Service levels are low

• Millennials

– They want a wide range of projects to work on as well as challenging and meaningful work.

– They need structure, supervision, and look for immediate gratification and feedback.

– The relationship they have with their immediate boss is a critical factor in whether they stay on or leave a job.

• Millennials

– They need to be entertained and enlightened.

– Be clear in requirements for a task, give answers to all of their questions, and be patient.

– They like opportunities to learn and develop new skills.

• Millennials

– Provide significant orientation

– Use education and work skill development as a motivator

– Encourage them to ask, “Why?”

– Set clear expectations

• Millennials– Establish mentor programs

– Allow them to speak with all levels of the organization

– Value their personal contribution to the organization

– Look for ways to incorporate their ideas

Generation Z

I Work For Success!

Gen Z at Work

Assets

• Multi-tasking

• Fast-thinking

• Technological savvy

• Tremendous energy and enthusiasm.

• Images

Liabilities

• Need for supervision and structure

• Inexperience, particularly with handling different people issues

• Poor Interpersonal Skills

• No Personal responsibility

Generation Z: Managing

• Their brains are wired for the fast delivery of content, data, and images from computers, videogames, and the Internet.

• They have very short attention spans.

• Gen Z’s are driven by graphics in learning. The comprehend complex graphics better than previous generations.

• They very much dislike lecture-test classroom.

• You Tube

• Want it fun

• According to a recent study, 51% of Gen Z prefers in-person communication with managers, as opposed to emailing (16%) or instant messaging (11%).

• They react best to small, highly defined work groups with a strong peer leader.

• They need a well-defined chain of command and a leader with a teaching style.

• Gen Z doesn’t want to be left out on the sidelines and want to be taken seriously. Help them understand the impact that their work plays.

• Teacher/Student -Want to feel like their manager is highly interested in their progress and dedicated to helping them improve.

• Keep work structured.

• Show them the prize.

– This generation has grown up with individual education plans, awards for everything they do and lots of do-overs.

• Thrives on opportunity and individual attention. Motivate your employees by asking them about their future goals and helping them fine-tune the skills needed to get there.

• Gen Z proves to be more motivated by opportunities for advancement than they are by money.

• They are incredibly strategic, after witnessing the aftermath of the Great Recession on their Millennial peers.

• They are eager for opportunities to learn and are realistic about the fact that learning opportunities don’t always pay well.

What Do They Want From Work

How Do We Motivate Them

How Do We Keep Them Engaged

• Accommodate Employee Differences, For Example, A Gen X'er Might Want Time Off, While A Traditionalist Might Prefer A Monetary Bonus

• Create Workplace Choices

• Respect Competence And Initiative

• Nourish Retention

• Incorporate Different Motivational Techniques Into Your Management Style.

• All Generations Want:

– To be treated fairly

– Work That Provides Personal Satisfaction

– Employers Who Understand Personal Lives Are Important

– Work That Is Valued By Employers And Customers

– Clear Sense Of Purpose From Employers

In Summary

• “Working Across Generations”, Kunreuther, Kim and Rodriguez

• “When Generations Collide” Lancaster and Stillman

• “Generations at Work”, Zemke, Raines and Filipczak

• “How to Lead Different Generations in the Workplace”, Houlihan

• “Generations in the Workplace”, Komarniski

• “Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees”, Hammil

• Generational Insights, Cam Marston

• Sticking Points, Hayden Shaw

Resources

Tracy DiBiase, PHR

Tracy@hrcentricsolutions.com239-313-3137

Thank you!

Managing Generations in the Workforce · 1981 – 1995 Millennial’s or Generation Y 21 - 37 1996 – Generation Z or Digital Natives 20 or younger Please note: While many generational

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