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Understanding The Four Generations In Today's Workplace

By:
Patti B. Carey
President
Workforce Strategies, LLC

Volume 7, Number 1 Spring 2001

Introduction

Has your management style evolved as the demographic composition of the workforce has changed? Do you use the same methods to motivate everyone on your team regardless of the vast differences in team members’ ages? Have you made any adjustments over the last five years to your policies involving vacation, meetings, work hours, or company structure to accommodate the different generations in your workforce today?

If you use the same techniques to recruit and manage everyone on your team and believe that your team members are motivated by the same things that you are, then you are not maximizing your team’s full potential performance. There are four distinct generations comprising the workplace today: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and Millenials. Each of these generations seeks to be managed and motivated according to their own specific needs, which stem from their unique values.

Managers who understand the differences in these generations will better attract, retain, and motivate employees to work for their organization, not against it. In fact, understanding what motivates employees is essential to effective leadership.

The Traditionalists
The Traditionalists, sometimes referred to as veterans or pre-boomers, are the oldest of the four generations. They were born before 1946. Tom Brokaw calls them The Greatest Generation.1

They are a loyal, strong bunch. Divorce was almost unheard of in their parents’ generation and they, in turn, have the lowest divorce rate of any generation today. They heard their grandparents say, "You made your bed, so lie in it." They embraced this philosophy, and through the years, they have adopted a "just stick it out" attitude in their marriages as well as in their jobs.

The Great Depression and the years that followed defined the Traditionalists. This generation survived the stock market crash of 1929 and witnessed thousands of businesses closing forever. But they survived. And survivors they are. They have lived through hard times and developed a quiet confidence as a result. The Depression taught them to be conservative in their spending habits and to save. They know that they can survive anything, and they are proud that they have and that they can.

Traditionalists grew up with a strong sense of patriotism and proved their love and duty to their country by serving in World War II and in the Korean War. As a result, they value honor, patriotism, and loyalty. For most members of this generation, the most defining historical moment for them occurred with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Ask a Traditionalist where he was on December 7, 1941, and he not only will tell you explicitly but also will probably remember what clothes he was wearing that day. The December 7, 1941 date is a poignant one for members of this generation.

Traditionalists are loyal to their family, to their church, to their country, to their community, and to their employers. They join an organization and stay with it, through good times and bad, until they are downsized or retire. While they may not agree with everything that the boss does, they respect the boss and, for the most part, do not rock the boat. Some members may perform the same job duties for years, never complaining. They enjoy working, and they are thankful to be employed.

One thing that other generations sometimes forget about the Traditionalists is how they spent their leisure time: listening to the radio. As a result of the family’s gathering around the radio after their evening meal, they developed strong listening skills and a keen sense of imagination. In fact, when Traditionalists listened to the stories of The Lone Ranger, they not only could hear the masked hero speak, but they could also picture him in their minds, smell the scent of his horse on his clothes, and taste the meat that he cooked for supper.

Their imaginations spilled over into their recreation. As children, Traditionalists entertained themselves often with nothing more than household items or the vast outdoors, unlike children of other generations who relied on television, electronic games, and computers for their play. Interestingly, organizations for the most part have failed to tap into these listening and imagination skill sets. It’s ironic that managers often look to today’s younger generation for creativity and imagination when it is the Traditionalists who polished these creative skills early in their youth.

Their backgrounds have made them who they are today. They respect authority. They understand that hard work is part of life and that it brings rewards over time. They value conformity and having their experience respected, as well as a clearly defined hierarchy, which speaks to their military backgrounds.

To motivate a Traditionalist, organizations need to let them know that their experience is valued, provide stability and security where possible, be clear in all work and performance expectations, and address their desire to be self-sufficient.

Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, although some researchers say that their birth years are between 1943 and 1960.2 For the most part, they grew up with a working dad and a stay-at-home mom. Most Boomers remember the day dad brought home the family’s first television set. Television was to them what radio was to the Traditionalists. Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll dominated their scene during the 1960s. And, they led the march for civil rights. Even though they experienced several national heroes struck down by bullets, they never lost sight of their mission: a strong country and a sound economy.

Members of this generation grew up in optimistic, positive times. They witnessed strong U.S. economic growth and expansion. In addition, they were raised in a world that seemed to have endless possibilities. As a result, today they are idealistic and tend to be workaholics. Some have even been accused of putting their careers before their family.

Respect and success are important to Boomers and installment buying gave them both. This is the generation that flaunts their BMWs, designer eyeglasses, and trendy fashions. In fact, they are gullible for anything that says trendy or "hot." Likewise, they believe that climbing the corporate ladder is of the utmost importance. Boomers view work as a part of their identity. Work is what drives them. In addition, job titles are significant to them, and the more important and powerful-sounding the title, the more the title will excite a Boomer. Ask a Boomer who he is and he will probably respond with his job title; members of this generation identify closely with their titles.

Boomers value learning. After all, they are the ones who led the way back to school to obtain the coveted MBA. Many are enrolled in continuing education programs during the evening, after working a full day. They adore self-help books and often make the authors of them national heroes.3

One of their assets is that they are great rapport builders. They embrace the team concept, and they lead by consensus. However, they tend to be self-centered and self-absorbed. As a whole, Boomers place high priority on their own interests. They may embrace the organization’s goals, but they are constantly thinking, "How is this going to help my career?" They personify the "me generation."

To motivate a Boomer, organizations must promote lifelong learning, give them public recognition, provide visible perks, and reward them—personally and publicly—for the many long hours that they give to their work.

Generation Xers
Born between 1964 and 1977 (or 1960 and 1980), Generation Xers are a breed of their own.4 Forty percent of this generation are from divorced parents. They grew up with mom and dad both working and, therefore, became the first generation of latchkey kids. As a result, television was their baby-sitter. By their 18th birthday, each of them had seen 350,000 television commercials, which equates to 160.4 full days of commercials influencing them towards the "right" lifestyles, images, and personal collections.5 In addition, the television shows that Xers grew up watching portrayed work in a very glamorous, exciting way. Businesspeople in TV programs had dream jobs and drove expensive cars, and most of their time at work was spent drinking coffee and chatting about things that were not related to work.

Perhaps that is one reason why Xers seek excitement, combined with the fact that the television shows they enjoy—like MTV—cause a visual image to change before their eyes every 3 to 5 seconds. The reality is that they want to have fun at work. In an episode of The Wonder Years, Kevin announces at the dinner table that his job at the hardware store is boring, hard work, and no fun. His father responds, "What?! No fun?! What does fun have to do with it—it’s a job, isn’t it?"6 This retort is definitely not the response of a member of this generation. For Generation Xers, the word "fun" and the word "job" must be in the same sentence.

Not only must a job be fun to attract an Xer, it must also contain leading edge technology, flexibility, continued training, and hands-off supervision to retain them. This generation grew up in an era where computers were part of their recreation as well as their education. They mastered the joystick at an early age, and they have a desire to stay on the forefront of technology and to experiment with technology. In fact, having the newest technology at their fingertips in their work environment motivates them.

Flexibility is important to them in the workplace, too. Xers value balance in their lives. After all, they watched mom and dad work countless hours for a company only to be later rewarded with a company downsize. Perhaps this event may account for the reason that they are viewed as being less driven in their work habits than Boomers and are less loyal to their employers than Boomers and Traditionalists. Although Xers believe in getting the job done, they believe that hard and fast rules about how to get the job done are useless. They quickly embrace relaxed rules. They choose casual dress codes. They do not understand the value of spending hours in meetings when the information presented could have just been sent in an e-mail.

Xers thrive in a learning environment. They expect and demand continuous training. In April 2000, I surveyed 35 soon-to-graduate seniors at the University of Richmond and found that the number one benefit they wanted from potential employers was training. This generation understands the value of maintaining one’s marketability, and they expect their employer to provide them with the necessary training to keep them marketable.

In addition, they will suffocate in a micromanaged environment. Xers can be highly creative, but their creativity is fed with flexibility, relaxed rules, and a fun work environment. Members of this generation flourish when given constant, constructive feedback. They want to know from their superiors and peers how they are performing—and they expect direct feedback. Simply giving an Xer feedback in a traditional year-end performance appraisal format is unmotivating. This generation wants feedback—good and bad—at the time of the performance, not months or a year later.

The key to managing an Xer is to treat them as an equal. While they are business savvy, are adaptable, and are comfortable with change, they can be easily bored and cynical when not managed properly. And because they are unimpressed with and unintimidated by authority, they will not hesitate to confront or publicly disagree with a manager who treats them as anything but a full partner. Manage them with care.

Millenials
Born after 1977 (or 1980), Millenials, sometimes called Generation Y, have never known a world without VCRs, ATMs, microwaves, or personal computers.7 They, like the generation that precedes them, are techno-literate. Often in families today, the digital age divides child from parent. Today, children are teaching parents how to create dynamic Power Point presentations. And, this generation uses computers for education as well as for recreation.

One of their strengths is that they are great at multitasking. They have developed skills that allow them to work effectively on numerous activities simultaneously. They have less free time and more homework and schooltime than other generations. And, they are being held accountable for their education through state tests like Standards of Learning (SOLs).

Sadly, they have experienced violence at a personal level. Numerous school yard shootings are part of the events that have shaped them, not to mention the daily violence they watch on television programs, in movies, and on the Internet. Many of their electronic games have violence at their core. They have been inundated with news and, as a result, have become somewhat desensitized to news. The 2000 presidential election, however, caught their attention and may cause them to become more involved in the political process.

While it is too soon to tell what their work ethic will be like, one thing that is known is that Millenials are motivated by money. For them, money talks. And, mom and dad have forked it out for them, too, often catering to their expensive designer desires. For many, mom and dad are not just their parents; they are their friends.

Millenials are leading the way to becoming color-blind. They value diversity, and they get along with members of different racial and ethnic groups. As a group, they are more open to interracial dating than to dating across economic classes. Unlike other generations, they do not have any gender restrictions. After all, many of them have played on coed Little League teams. Their corporate board compositions will certainly have a different flavor than those of yesterday and today.

To attract a member of this generation, total compensation will be key. They expect strong base pay packages, a management style that promotes honesty and integrity, continuous training, and opportunities to work with a diverse group in a team setting. They place strong emphasis on continuous training and, like their Xer counterparts, are seeking organizations that will keep them marketable.

Conclusion
Each generation grew up in different times, with different historical and cultural events shaping them in their formative years to become who they are today. For employers to be successful in today’s competitive environment, they must recognize each generation’s aspirations, understand their complicated compositions, and develop uncommon programs to attract and retain members from each generation. Since each generation has strong assets and liabilities, it is critical for organizations to employ members from all four generations to benefit from the diversified strengths of each group. This will enable employers to tap into the uniqueness that each generation brings to the workforce. For managers, the key is to know the composition of their workforce and then to structure their environments in such a way that will attract and motivate each segment.

Endnotes
1 Brokaw, Tom. The Greatest Generation. Random House, 1998.
2 Zemke, Ron; Raines, Claire; Filipczak, Bob. Generations at Work. Performance Research Associates, Inc., 2000, p. 63.
3 Ibid., p. 78.
4 Ibid., p. 93.
5 Coupland, Douglas. Generation X. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991.
6 The Wonder Years Television Show, syndication.
7 Zemke, Raines, Filipczak, p. 127.

Sources
Brokaw, Tom. The Greatest Generation. Random House, 1998.
Filipczak, Bob. "It’s Just a Job: Generation X at Work." Training. April, 1994.
Hays, Scott. "Generation X and the Art of the Reward." Workforce. November, 1999.
Macalister, Kim. "The X Generation." HR Magazine. May, 1994.
Powell, Douglas H. "Stretching Your Workforce Options." HR Magazine. July, 1998.
Wellner, Alison Stein. "Boom or Bust?" Training. August, 1999.
Wendover, Bob. Gen Trends. March and May, 2000.
Zemke, Ron; Raines, Claire; Filipczak, Bob. Generations at Work. Performance Research Associates, Inc., 2000.

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