The Changing Face of the Workforce Kay Dunkley, Director VA Tech Roanoke Center June 28, 2013-VACCE.

The Changing Face of the Workforce

Kay Dunkley, DirectorVA Tech Roanoke CenterJune 28, 2013-VACCE

Types of Diversity Demographic (Age, Race, Ethnicity,

Gender, Geographic etc.) Education Backgrounds and experience Socio-Economic Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Learning Styles Generations

The GenerationsCensus Total

Birth Years % of 2010 Workforce

Traditionalists

57 Million 1920-1945 7%

Baby Boomers

76 Million 1946-1961 38%

Generation X 46 Million 1962-1979 30%

Millennials 75 Million 1980-2000 25%

Remember, dates are positioning points, not definers. Each point is on a continuum, flowing

from one generation to the next.

TraditionalistSignificant Event: December 7, 1941 –

Pearl Harbor

Technology: Radio

Key Descriptor: Loyal Stabilizers

Civic pride, loyalty, respect Gray flannel suit crowd Institutional loyalty White, male, seniority

driven Mixing of generations rare Great team players and get

along with others

Great Depression Dust Bowl President FDR New Deal Golden age of radio

and Hollywood Pearl Harbor and

World War II D-Day

Death of FDR Hiroshima, Nagasaki Birth of Nuclear Age American grit/power

win World War II G.I. Bill

Character Shaping Events

Traditionalist

Traditionalist

Show respect for their length of service and experience

Watch your language – no cursing allowed Hard working and loyal Do your homework; prepare to be tested Less tech savvy than younger generations Interact face to face Say “thank you” and “please” Don’t rush or pressure them Serve and honor them

Communication Tips

Traditionalist

Table Top Discussion1. What frustrates or irritates me about

Traditionalists?

2. What do I admire, appreciate and/or could really stand to learn from Traditionalists?

Baby BoomerSignificant Event: President John F.

Kennedy Assassination

Technology: Television

Key Descriptor: Idealistic

Yuppies, Boomers End of rural, agrarian lifestyle Babies every 17 minutes for 20

years Child rearing – hobby and

pleasure Confident, expectant

generation Redefining period between

mid-life and old age

Marshall Plan Korean War Red Scare Sputnik Cold War Kennedys & Camelot Civil Rights Movement Vietnam

Kent State Protests and marches JFK, RFK & King

assassinations Feminist movement Woodstock Moon landing

Character Shaping Events

Baby Boomer

Baby Boomer

Honor their experience and ask for their advice

Loyal, work centric and cynical Value the “people side” of business Speak in an open, personal style Offer to partner and get the job

done; don’t wait to be asked Support them; make them look good Don’t call them “older.” Use

descriptors like “mature”, “experienced” or “prime”

Center your conversation around forming business relationships

CommunicationTips

Baby Boomer

Table Top Discussion1. What frustrates or irritates me about

Baby Boomers?

2. What do I admire, appreciate and/or could really stand to learn from Baby Boomers?

Generation XSignificant Event: Space Shuttle

Challenger Explosion

Technology: Personal Computer

Key Descriptor: Skeptical

Latchkey kids Anti-institution Segmented –

fragmented family “Family values”

redefined Strong entrepreneurial

spirit 24/7 MTV

Oil Embargo Watergate Nixon resignation Three-Mile Island John Lennon shot Challenger explosion Iranian hostage crisis Reagan election and

assassination attempt

Character Shaping Events

Generation X

Fall of Berlin wall Worst recession

and job market since Great Depression

Generation X

Talk with them, not to them Listen to them. You might learn

something! Use hands-off supervision When delegating, describe outcomes,

but leave results to them Don’t waste their time Provide immediate answers and

feedback Value their need to keep learning in

order for them to be marketable Communicate their desire for a work-

life balance

Communication Tips

Generation X

Table Top Discussion1. What frustrates or irritates me about

Gen Xers?

2. What do I admire, appreciate and/or could really stand to learn from Gen Xers?

MillennialSignificant Event: Columbine High School

Tragedy

Technology: Internet

Key Descriptor: Hopeful

Internet generation Most protected children 1 in 3 not Caucasian 2 in 4 live in single parent

home 4 in 5 have working mothers 1/3 teens work 20+ hrs/wk. WORK is a four-letter word

Internet Globalization Columbine killings Oklahoma City

Bombing Clinton impeached by

House, acquitted by Senate

September 11, 2001

Character Shaping Events

Millennial

Booming economy & job market

US invades Afghanistan & Iraq

2008 World Recession Barack Obama, Pres.

Millennial

Answer their constant “why” questions or ignore them to your own peril

Give them your web address and be prepared for a website critique

Emphasize positives of doing right rather than negatives of doing wrong

Be positive, simple, rational, factual and friendly

Respond quickly - “instant gratification” Mentor them and be realistic Be prepared to offer flexible scheduling Understand they listen to iPod, surf the

Net, and text at the same time

CommunicationTips

Millennial

Table Top Discussion1. What frustrates or irritates me about

Millennials?

2. What do I admire, appreciate and/or could really stand to learn from Millennials?

Things to ponder… Which generations do I work with the

most? The least? How can my awareness of each

generation help me plan more effective meetings?

What can I stop doing/keep doing/start doing to better interact with each of the generations?

Narrow the gap… Be aware Be enlightening Be open Be a good example Be creative Listen to ALL employees and co-workers

to create a positive and productive work environment

References Murray, R.M. & Rutledge, H. (2009).

Generations: Bridging the gap with type. PowerPoint Presentation. Norman, OK: Performance Consulting Publishers.

Rutledge, H. (2011). Boomers, Blackberries, and Tweets. Training Workshop. Fairfax, VA: Otto Kroeger Associates.

References Susan A. Murphy, PhD, Claire Raines

Associates (2007). Leading a Multigenerational Workforce. AARP publication.

Melissa P. Reese and Tiffany A. Sharpley. Four Generations-One Workplace-Can We All Work Together? Inside Indiana Business News.

Thank you for being here today…

Questions?