Generation Differences In The Workplace

“After a century of trying to control people, processes and information, we have come to a point in organizational history where we need to recognize that what worked before just simply isn’t enough anymore.” This goes to prove that over time just like everything else evolves our behaviors towards our colleagues has to evolve as well. And management has to learn the new behaviors of his/her employees. The Millennials and generation Z needs to know that they are appreciated and need to be challenged before they get bored, hence the reason why managers need to learn

First off, retention for all generations starts on day one of employment (Martin, 2006, pg. 118). Beginning in orientation, it is a good idea to ask workers what their ideal career path would be and what can be offered throughout each stage of their career.

America has about five generations that function in our society today, and they are Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and the Millennial. It is interesting the way that an age gap influences the thinking of millions of people in different generations. Different times and situations require that different strategies be put in place for the following generation. Solutions that worked for one generation may be less useful for the next, so sometimes, because of the age gap, these solutions cause disagreements. These various ideologies all have one goal, and that is to be successful. We will discuss the path of the Baby Boomers and Generation X in the workplace environment.

First, let us talk about Baby Boomers. It is not unusual for Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) like to be in control. Moreover, it is understandable why because they have years of experience. Baby Boomers attempt to develop a spirit of friendship with team members whose on-the-job experience is very small. Members of the Baby Boom Generation tend to have a strong work ethic, good communication skills, and emotional maturity. “The Baby Boomers are also one of the most educated generations.”(Colquitt, Lepine, &Wesson,2011,p.85) Boomers continue to hold most of the power and control. Trained as thinkers, they will continue to have surprising influence on the workplace for at least another two decades and this is why it is important to balance their input by clearly

Generations in the Workplace Informative Outline Introduction 1. Have you ever noticed your co-workers age groups? a. You will notice each age group has different characteristics. 2. This is because you work with different generations at work.

To take a case in point, when discussing diversity in the workplace the main topics discussed are culture, gender, and race. Consequently, the topic of generational diversity in the workplace mostly becomes a forgotten type of diversity to discuss. During the course of LMM328-17: Diversity and Intergenerational Effectiveness, Ms. Sams construes that generational diversity does not focus solely on how each of the four generations’ (Traditionalist, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and the Millennials) diverse experiences and characteristics influences the manner of how generations apply themselves in the workplace.

Baby boomers like work and they have a strong work ethic. This generation group have a positive attitude towards work and are not afraid to toil hard in the workplace. The baby boomers obtain their satisfaction and self-worth directly from career and professional achievements. Due to the dedication and positive attitude that this group has towards work, it may be challenging for them to establish a working balance between home and work. On the other hand, the generation Xers lack the workaholic attitudes that their boomer parents have. They do not prioritize work and the Xers tend to have a negative attitude towards work and may change jobs frequently. Generation Xers are treated as the slacker generation. Their diverse attitudes towards work are attributed to the concept of developing a life/work balance. Generation X question the authoritative figures in the workplace (Lyons & Kuron, 2014). The millennials or generation Ys are the current groups of workers regarded as a global-centric generation. The millennials are predicted to make approximately half of the workforce globally by 2050. The millennials are lazy and see work in a slightly different way compared to the earlier generations.

If we take a look at my generation and previous generation one this is unmistakable, each generation possess individual values, attitudes and goals. After reading the article Gen Y in the Workforce by Tamara J. Erickson it became obvious to me that there is a generation gap between the traditionalists and generation Y. I believe a number of things play a role in this gap one of which I believe is the help my generation has received from previous generations.

Every work environment is teeming with people from various generations. Though, the majority of people wish for a healthy work environment this is not the easiest to come by. People from these different generations have different ways of looking at the world. They were raised differently and though theoretically want the same things they want to reach these goals in different ways. Rising to leadership, the understanding of technology, adapting in the workplace, and communication are the four criteria you need to know to understand how the people of Generation X and Millennials function together in the workplace.

The workplace of today involves interactions among people from four different generations often causing much conflict for leaders and organizations. Each generation represented has its own set of different values and beliefs. These differences can easily lead to conflicting barriers within the workplace. This can pose a significant problem for those in leadership. In order to combat this issue, leaders and organizations can effectively deal with these issues by offering different programs such as executive mentoring, town hall meetings, and leadership seminars for those in leadership.

Managers and Supervisors must be consistent in their approach if they’re going to have success in supporting multiple generations. It’s well known that there are similarities and differences among the generations. However, many of the differences don’t apply to every individual of a generational group. Because generational groups are so diverse, it’s difficult to conclude that preferences associated with an entire generation are true for everyone in the group. It’s also important to establish guidelines and policies to address all generational differences. One example of this, would be to require that every employee set yearly goals and objectives and at the end of the year, measure how well the employee performed against those objectives.

They may wear flip-flops to the office or listen to iPods at their desk. They want to work, but they don't want work to be their life.” (Armour, 2010). In America, their number accounts for more than 70 million people. Yes, this is how USA Today described the Generation Y. It is almost time for the Baby Boomer generation to retire from their current job. Employers would need substitutes for their long-term loyal employees. They look for the same work ethic in the new generation. However, it is not how the new generation, Generation Y looks at work. According to Science Direct “Keeping the Millennials: Why Companies are Losing Billions in Turnover to this Generation argues that Millennials are sought-after employees because of their energy and technology skills, but many companies are unable to retain these young professionals. Unless organizations adapt to the expectations unique to this generation”(Sara D. Smith, 2012). So while recruiting the new Generation X and most importantly Generation Y, it has to be kept in mind that their perspective is not identical as their ancestors. As described by USA Today, “Unlike boomers who tend to put a high priority on career, today's youngest workers are more interested in making their jobs accommodate their family and personal lives. They want jobs with flexibility, telecommuting options and the ability to go part time or leave the workforce temporarily when children are in the picture.” (Armour, 2010) .

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE “UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORK PLACE” ( Cited from Kapoor and Solomon 2011)

The upcoming generation, millennials, are a new type of generation. They have proven to be the most educated generation, despite the hard times in the economy. Yet they still face criticism from their elders on their work ethic. Although they seem to all be lazy and not interested in working, not all millennials are like that. They just have different values in life, and balance work life with free time. Millennials have faced a lot of criticism on their work ethic, which has many questioning do millennials have a strong work ethic. They are said to be lazy narcissistic tech addicts, who don’t take any job seriously and slack off. What most don’t know is that the economy hasn’t been in the greatest of shape, this makes work ethic hard to

The article: Generational differences in work values: a study of hospitality management was conducted by the author to understand the structure of hospitality work values and its perception among 3 different generations of managers and supervisors (Chen, P., & Choi, Y., 2008).