MULTIPLE GENERATION MULTIPLE GENERATION WORKPLACESWORKPLACES

Understanding the different generations in the workplace in order to improve our communication skills, increase our productivity, and collectively be more effective in the performance of our duties and management of the offender population

Individual people who think, talk and approach work differently

SPO #13 FOUR GENERATIONS SPO #13 FOUR GENERATIONS IN THE WORPLACEIN THE WORPLACE

Veterans – born before 1943Baby Boomers – 1944-1964X’ers – 1965-1980Millennials/Y – 1981 –2000

VETERANSVETERANS(Greatest Generation)(Greatest Generation)

Comfortable with a vertical, para-military, chain-of-command type of hierarchy

Respect authority / position and seek clear lines between bosses and subordinates

Very dependable, will not, per se, rock the boat

Had parents who survived the great depression and are, themselves, very frugal

Family unit is intact, divorce is a rarity

VETERANSVETERANS(Greatest Generation)(Greatest Generation)

Loyal to the agency, in a job for the long haul, sacrifice for their employer

Grew up in a largely segregated and sexist society which directly causes certain opinions about minorities, women, etc

Diversity in the workplace is a new concept Small percentage are college graduates Education might have included a high school

education, however was not the norm. Many only went as far as the eighth grade

Military enlistment was common

BABY BOOMERSBABY BOOMERS Love / Hate relationship with authority Partially believe you should “pay your dues”

before moving up the ladder. Tends to cause problems when younger staff member is promoted over older/tenured staff

Due to events of their time, question authority – Vietnam, other actions by government leaders

Very driven; could be considered workaholics Loyal to the organization, almost to the

detriment of their personal lives

BABY BOOMERSBABY BOOMERS Personal value is determined by the position they hold

(Feel have not been successful unless they hold a significant position in the organization by the time they retire or before

Saw country divided over the Vietnam conflict; however, were influenced by civil rights and women’s movements

Tend to seek equality, fairness, and be consensus builders Women began to have choices and began to enter the

workforce Independence was reflected in the home, divorce rates

began to increase Percentage earned college degrees with a percentage

receiving post graduate degrees going directly into the workforce

X’ERSX’ERS Very task oriented Children of the boomers, talk a lot about

“quality time” with the kids but never really actualized it because (Boomer parents) were so busy working

Do not want to do the same thing with their children (The Millennials)

Want best of both worlds ; good job and great family

X’ERSX’ERS Motto “8” and the gate. (Meaning to put in eight

hours of work and leave; no extra additional initiatives spent)

Indifferent to the chain of command; hierarchy is meaningless

Believe recognition for your skill, and based on merit- not tenure (Clashing point between XER’s and Boomers)

Will stay on job as long as they are learning something

Loyalty to oneself comes first, based upon need to balance work and home to remain competitive in the job market

X-ERSX-ERS Grew up with a great awareness and

tolerance Women in traditionally male jobs raises

few eyebrows with the generation Representative of the two cohorts that

begin to live in a “color blind” world Higher percentage that the Baby

Boomers have college degrees, larger percent have post graduate degrees

MILLENNIALS/Gen YMILLENNIALS/Gen Y Newest group to enter the workforce Determined – work diligently if they have

a say in how the work is done Thrive on creative opportunities Believe to establish a career path they

must continually move around and expand their skills – lateral transfers not out of the question

See themselves as short term employees in as much that they are more interested in doing as much as then can to make themselves more marketable, more diverse

MILLENNIALS/Gen YMILLENNIALS/Gen Y Grown up with friends who have two

parents, were adopted and come from all ethnic groups

Unimpressed by rank, age, tenure; respect co-workers who demonstrate knowledge/expertise in a given area

Closely linked to that of Veterans (i.e. 9/11/01 patriotic – the first since the Vets to witness an attack on American Soil)

Work diligently if they feel they have a say in how the work is done and if opportunities exist for innovation and creativity

Increased percentage have college degree over the XER’S to include post graduate degrees