You thought you'd escaped your annoying Aunt Edna by taking a job clear across the country - only to find her evil twin working in the next cubicle. And someone who reminds you of your know-it-all nephew is now your project team leader.
It seems that the working world has become the equivalent of one huge extended family.
"For the first time, we're seeing four distinct generations working side by side in the workplace. Each generation comes with its own values, approaches, attitudes and work ethics, creating a unique challenge for managers and employees alike," said Tory Johnson, founder and CEO of Women for Hire. (Seminars focusing on generational issues will be part of the free Women for Hire Career Expo in Atlanta on March 23.)
Based on data from national demographic surveys, leading expert Claire Raines (www.generationsatwork.com) and Johnson describe the generations accordingly.
These are broad-brush profiles, and there are exceptions to every case.
The Veterans (also called Matures), born 1922-43, lived through World War II and the Korean War. They believe in family values, hard work and dedication. They grew up in an era when most men worked and women reared children.
"They are loyal to employers and expect loyalty in return. They expect to receive promotions and raises based on tenure and time with the company, not productivity, and to be taken care of into retirement - what some describe as a cradle-to-grave mentality," Johnson said.
The baby boomers, born 1943-60 (some say 1946-64), grew up in economic prosperity at a time when children's needs and wants were at center stage. While some have called them pampered and self-centered, baby boomers also like teamwork and were taught "to play well with others" in school. In the workplace they are optimistic, service-oriented and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. They've witnessed the recession, layoffs and mergers since the 1980s.
"You have to remember that 51 million of theses workers hit the job market at the same time, so they are fiercely competitive. Some call them workaholics," Johnson said.
With their vast numbers, baby boomers dominate the workplace. There are now more workers over 40 than under 40.
Many of the Generation X'ers, born 1960-80 (some say 1965-78), were latch-key kids of two-income families or were affected by divorce. They saw the stresses of their baby boomer parents and learned to be self-reliant at an early age. They are technologically savvy, adaptable, informal and globally oriented.
"Having watched their parents burn out, they are interested in a work/life balance and more loyal to people than companies. They will go wherever they see the best opportunities, which means they're not afraid to job-hop," Johnson said. "They also believe that promotions and raises should come from productivity and results."
The Nexters, Generation Y or Millennials, born 1980 to the present, are the youngest and hardest to categorize. They grew up with computers in their homes, are more tolerant of a diverse society, and have an amazing capacity for multitasking.
"Some say they've been coddled and doted on and expect lots of feedback and recognition," Johnson said. "But they are hard-working, confident, [and they] value individual relationships and personal satisfaction. They believe they can work well and do good simultaneously."
Despite the differences, workers of all four generations in the 2005 Randstad Employee Review agreed on the importance of "delivering operational excellence with fewer resources" in their companies. They just don't always agree on how to do it.
As might be expected, boomers and Gen X'ers are more concerned with managing health care costs, but Gen X'ers also want more opportunities for career development and advancement. Millennials are interested in building effective teams, while Matures feel most strongly about retaining and motivating employees.
Older workers have had to face the stress of learning new paradigms for doing business, such as high-tech manufacturing and e-commerce, and being managed by younger workers.
Gen X'ers are looking at fewer promotion opportunities in streamlined companies where boomers are working past age 65.
Recent college grads struggle to get past the "new kid" stigma and have their ideas heard.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS - Source: Len Rothman, executive and diversity business coach with Action International |
As any extended family knows, generation gaps can be sources of bickering, tension and dysfunction. But when family members learn to get along and work together, these gaps can be sources of creative problem-solving and strength.
"Managing across the generations is the new frontier in diversity education and training," Johnson said. "Companies, who have addressed understanding and valuing differences in gender, race, religion, ethnic origin and sexual orientation, are now finding that they also need to focus on age diversity in their corporate planning."
Career consultants are helping employers understand the dynamics of the new workplace and build bridges across the multigenerational work force.
"Companies today want to attract and retain all the best talent. After
a push to acquire and recruit, now they are looking for ways to build the talent they have," saidJennifer Kahnweiler, president of AboutYou Inc., a company that provides career management expertise to organizations, individuals and the media.
They want strategies to better understand generational differences and ways to help employees communicate more effectively. Why does one worker look at overtime as a sign of dedication, while another sees it as a signal that life is out of balance?
"Each generation has lessons to share, and, when you blend a variety of perspectives, you're going to get a stronger product," Kahnweiler said.
There's much at stake, said Len Rothman, an executive and diversity business coach with Action International.
"Foremost, millions of baby boomers are going to retire from the work force in 10 years, which is going to create a huge brain drain of intellectual capital in corporations," he said. "Up until now, there hasn't been an exit plan for how to transfer that wisdom and knowledge of leadership to younger workers.
"The cost of not making the transfer means that companies are going to have to reinvent the wheel in so many ways, and that goes straight to the bottom line."
Other common issues that Rothman sees in today's workplace:
Some ways to improve communication, dispel stereotypes and encourage employees to work together to meet common goals include mentoring - not only for younger workers to learn from their older counterparts but also for younger workers to share knowledge about technology with older workers.
"Addressing the issue openly is a positive way to make generational diversity an asset, not a detriment," Johnson said. "Employees are eager to learn how to work more effectively with their co-workers, so it shouldn't be a taboo subject.
"People who like the people they work with are happier and work better."