Generations at Work: Understanding how Other Generations Think

Millennials in the Workforce

Understanding Generational Influences and Working with the Next Generation of

Workers

Our Objectives Today

• Gain an understanding of different generations in the workforce and what makes each different

• Identify effective strategies for multigenerational workplaces and teams

• Identify key strategies to recruit, manage and retain Millennial employees

Characteristics of Different Generations

Veterans: Over 65 years old

• Important events included: – The Great Depression– WWII – The Cold War– The Korean War– Sputnik went into Orbit

You might be a veteran if…• You have the ability to entertain yourself

without a TV, in fact you remember the days before TV

Baby Boomers: 45-64 years old

• Important events included: – Man walks on the Moon– Civil Rights– Woodstock– Deaths of JFK and Martin Luther King

You might be a Boomer if…You can complete these sentences…• When the Beatles first came to the U.S. in early 1964,

we all watched them on the ______show • "Get your kicks, ________________”

Generation X: 29-42 years old

• Important events: – Challenger Shuttle Explodes on Takeoff– Berlin Wall Dismantled– Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe– U.S. Troops go to Persian Gulf for the 1st time– AIDS Identified

You might be a Gen Xer if…• Schoolhouse Rock played a HUGE part in how you

actually learned the English language. – I know what a Bill (sittin’ up on Capital Hill) is thanks to

that show!!

Millennials: 18-27 years old

• Important Events: – Death of Princess Diana– Death of Mother Teresa– Columbine– 9/11

You might be a Millennial if…• Blog, Myspace/Facebook, IM, text messaging, and

other social media are a regular part of your daily life

Generational Activities

• Form generational groups

• Brainstorm 5 characteristics of other generations

• Create a list of what you don’t understand about other generations approach to work.– Bring cards to front when finished

• Within your group, do the characteristics written accurately describe you?– Choose a spokesperson to explain your answer

Is the workplace really that different compared

to 20 years ago?

According to a survey by Lee Hecht Harrison, 60% of

employers are experiencing intergenerational tensions at

work.

*Source: Generation Y: They’ve Arrived at Work with a New Attitude, 2005

Workplace Values

Veterans Boomers Gen Xers Millennials

Career Goals

Build a legacy Build a stellar career

Build a portable career

Build parallel careers

Rewards Satisfaction of a job well done

Money, title, recognition, corner office

Freedom is the ultimate reward

Work that has meaning for me

Work-Life Balance

Support me in shifting the balance

Help me balance everyone else and

find meaning myself

Give me balance now! Not when

I’m 65

Work isn’t everything. Need

flexibility to balance my other

activities

Job Changing

Carries a stigma Puts you behind Is necessary Is part of the daily routine

Training I learned the hard way, you can too!

Train ‘em too much and they’ll

leave

The more they learn, the more

they’ll stay

Continuous learning is a way

of life

Source: When Generations Collide

Sound Familiar?

• Looking for meaningful work• Seeking challenge• Chance to prove themselves and show they can

perform well• Enjoys contact with people• Desire to be in a position of responsibility• Resents being looked at as though they have no

experience• Tends to be more job mobile• Less respectful of authority

Who does this describe?

Training and Development Journal

November 1970Sorry Boomers, the other generations in the workforce

didn’t like you when you started working!

Every generation that enters the workforce makes waves!

What makes Millennials different than other

generations?

Millennial Characteristics

• Helicopter parents• They’ve been told they were special there

whole lives• More confident than generations before them• Team-oriented• High achieving

Millennial Characteristics

• Under more pressure to perform than other generations

• Compared to 20 years ago• More ethnically diverse• More affluent• Healthier• Technologically proficient• Connected with peers

Millennial Employees: Why You Want Them

• Increased hiring needs with Boomer retirements

• Millennials offer exceptional strengths to the workplace

• Flexible• Efficient multi-taskers• Technologically savvy• Value diversity• Fast learners• Enthusiastic

Millennial Employees: How to Get Them

• Recruiting: Online, In Person, Through Networks

• Managing: Orientation, Open Communication, Feedback, Teamwork

• Retaining: Values, Opportunity, Career Planning

Engaging Millennials Early

• Internships• Introduce your industry or company to the next

generation of workers• Millennials can learn positive work behavior from

mentors• Millennials have a lot to offer companies

How can different generations survive the

workplace and be productive as a team?

Jennifer Fisherwww.generationalsoup.com