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This is a presentation I presented at Library conference last week detailing the age of Higher Academic Librarians in South Africa. I also talked about how the different generations view work and work with their co-workers.
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The importance of generational awareness for libraries
Sophie van der WaltSearch Librarian – Unisa
Tanya du PlessisPostgraduate Supervisor - UJ
Who Did I Talk To?
• GAELIC Libraries:• University of Johannesburg (UJ)• University of South Africa (Unisa)• North-West University (NWU)• University of Pretoria (UP)• University of the Witwatersrand
(WITS)
Purpose of todayTo shock you!
To illustrate how different ages of librarians prefer to work and work with one another
So what’s so shocking about librarians?
Australia
Canada
USA
South Africa
5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75%Australia Canada USA South
Africa
Total Popu-lation
0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115
Librar-ians
0.51 0.25 0.670000000000002
0
Australia
Canada
USA
South Africa
5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65%Australia Canada USA South
Africa
Total popu-lation
0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115
Li-brari-ans
0.509 0.25 0.67000000000000
1
0.51
There won’t be many left!
Retirement forecast for SA Academic Libraries
Imminent staff exodus
Planning and training programmes for new middle and top management positions
Succession planning
Retir-ing in 10-15 years51%
Retir-ing in 15-20 years26%
Stay-ing on23%
So how do we work together?
Group synergy or group conflict?
Who are “we”?
• Baby Boomers
• 1943 – 1962 (USA)• 1946 – 1965 (UK)• 1950-1969 (SA)
• Gen X• 1963-1983 (UK)• 1966-1984 (UK)• 1970-1989 (SA)
• Gen Y• 1979 – 2001
(USA)• 1985-2001 (UK)• 1990-2005 (SA)
• Traditionalists• 1923-1945 (USA)• 1918-1945 (UK)• 1930-1949 (SA)
Cusp
er
s
Cusp
er
s
Who are “we”?
How do we work together?Traditionalists
Work valuesStructured Top down
Management style
ConservativeLoyal to authorityFamily values
Work-life balance
Balance is towards Work, Family comes secondNeed: Retirement orientation courses
RewardsRespect A job
Reskilling MONEYRECOGNITION
RetirementDeserve retirement
Stay until mandatory age
Keep them: -Telecommuting-Shorter weeks/days- Job sharing
Working with others
Team playersSeeks agreement
Prefer not to be leaders
Find changes in teams/focus stressful
Baby Boomers
Work valuesPeople-people Workaholic
work ethicInformal office environment
Work-life balance
Balance is towards Work, Family comes secondNeed: Help to find meaning in their work/lives
RewardsStatus symbols
Visible rewards
MONEYRECOGNITION
RetirementDon’t want to retire
Have to work Re-tyrement
Working with others
Team playersTeam leaders
Credit for successBlame others
Resent lack of respectDislike being challenged
Gen X
Work valuesPositive environment
Prefers being a coach/mentor not boss
Work flexibilityFun, informal office environment
Work-life balance
Balance is towards Family, Work comes secondStruggle to divide their time between work, family and fun
RewardsManagement responsibility
Independence
MONEYRECOGNITION
RetirementCan’t/Won’t retire
Transferable retirement / sabbaticals
Re-tyrement via chaning jobs
Working with others
Individualistic Independent
Not team players
Input: task related not emotional
HOW DO WE REALLY WORK TOGETHER?
The evidence
Work values# 1
◦The main reason for Generation X'ers staying with their current organisation is because they feel that they are doing meaningful work
# 2◦Generation X’ers and Baby Boomers
placed the greatest importance on a positive working environment
Work values
# 3◦Traditionalists ranked security and
meaning or purpose as the work values they view as most important
# 4oBaby Boomers and Generation X'ers
viewed meaning or purpose as well as intellectual stimulation as most valued
Work valuesSurprise 1
oall three generations disagreed that a person should build a lifetime career with one company
Surprise 2◦more Traditionalists have changed
careers than Baby Boomers or Generation X'ers
Work-life balance
# 1◦Traditionalists are the generation that are
the most satisfied with the balance between work and family
# 2◦Generations X'ers disagreed most that
their family life kept them from getting work done on time. This shows that they seem to have achieved an agreeable work-life balance
Work-life balance
Surprise 1◦Baby Boomers agreed most that they’d
prefer a work schedule that allows them to spend time with their family, rather than doing challenging work or earning a high salary
Rewards
#1◦ Baby Boomers and Generation X'ers
were the generations to place more value on cash bonuses and paid training courses or skills development than the Traditionalists
Rewards
Surprise 1◦Baby Boomers was the generation to
place greater emphasis on paid training courses or skills development NOT cash
Surprise 2◦Generation X'ers placed greater
significance on cash bonuses NOT skills development
Retirement
# 1◦There will not be enough Generation
X'ers and Generation Y'ers to pay for Baby Boomers' and Traditionalists' pension
# 2◦Baby Boomers and Traditionalists would
prefer to delay their retirement through working shorter weeks or from home
Co-worker relationships # 1
◦Traditionalists focus more than any other generation on obtaining agreement and the inclusion of all parties in a team
#2 ◦Traditionalists are the generation with
the least preference to be the leader of a team
Co-worker relationships
Surprise 1◦Generation X'ers, more than the other
generation, prefer to work in a group or team
Surprise 2◦Generation X'ers, not Baby Boomers,
show the highest preference to be the leader in a team
Why should we care?Remember this?
Australia
Canada
USA
South Africa
5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65%Australia Canada USA South
Africa
Total popu-lation
0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115
Li-brari-ans
0.509 0.25 0.67000000000000
1
0.51
Retir-ing in 10-15 years51%
Retir-ing in 15-20 years26%
Stay-ing on23%
