Managing a Multigenerational Workforce Essay

BABY BOOMERS were born during 1946-1964 and are in the 48-65 age range. Health, energy and wellness are major goals for them. Family values are very important to this generation. Many are becoming Empty Nesters since their children are leaving home. The necessity of having a family vehicle is not essential anymore.

Every generation is influenced by its period 's economic, political and social events. From the Great Depression to the civil rights and women 's movements to the advent of television and advanced computer technologies. Thus generational background/situation may also affect the way they work. The key is to be able to effectively address and take advantage of the differences in values and expectations of each generation in the workplace. The current work place consists of four different generations; The Baby Boomers (1946-1964) who are slowly retiring and existing the workforce, The Generation X (1965-1976), The Generation Y or millennia (1977-1997), and the Generation Z who are about to or are just entering the work force. Although these different generations tend to want similar things in a workplace their environment/background has shaped their character, values, and expectations (Hahn 2011).

Most baby boomers grew up watching their traditionalist parents work very hard to make ends meet and take care of the family unit. As a result of their upbringing many boomers have adopted their parent’s strong work ethics; working hard, long hours trying to climb the corporate ladder. Baby boomers still enjoy personal face to face interactions and building rapport with people

In today’s society, the work industry is comprised of numerous generations from baby boomers to millennia’s. Due to reasons ranging from increased cost of living to political policies, Americans are being forced to work longer in order to obtain the social security benefits they’ve contributed to during their careers. Each generation has certain generational influences such as war times and civil rights for the baby boomers and social media and the technology boom for the millennia’s. One constant that has not changed, however, is that the average American has to work for a living, and with the evolution of the US economy, they are having to work longer and are retiring later.

The Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, and they fall between the ages of 53-71. This generation was subject to the civil rights movements, the Vietnam War and the Cold War, and space travel. Their parents had the highest divorce rate and second marriages in history. “The American Dream” was promised to them as children and they spent their lives pursuing it. As a result some generations see them as being greedy, materialistic and ambitious. This generation believes in working long hours to establish self-worth and identity, they tend to be workaholics and are used to working up to 60 hour work weeks. Working this much caused an imbalance between most work/home life because the workers of this generation were afraid of losing their position at work if they took more time to spend with their families. The preferred work environment for a Baby Boomer is going to be democratic, believe in equal opportunity and be a warm friendly environment. Some pros of the Baby Boomer in the workplace include that they are anxious to please and tend to challenge the status quo. They are mission oriented individuals who will go the extra mile. Some cons of this generation are that they expect everyone to be workaholics like themselves and they don’t like change either after being raised by traditionalists. Some keys to working with these Baby Boomers is understanding how

Today, the workforce is made up of many different generations, which is affecting and effectively changing the workplace culture as a whole. The major generational differences between millennials and baby boomers can be either positive or negative depending on whom you ask. Boomers may categorize millennials as lazy and entitled, while millennials may call themselves innovative. No matter what they call themselves or each other, they all have to work together now as simply as that. This topic has sparked a lot of discussion as to how it’s best for each generation to act and deal with their other generational coworkers.

Their values were shaped primarily by a rise in civil rights activism Vietnam and inflation. Baby Boomers were cherished by parents that had sacrificed and fought a war for the right to bear them raise them, indulge them. Baby boomers tend to be more optimistic and open to change and are also responsible for the “Me Generation” with its pursuit for personal gratification. Baby Boomers value face time in the office and my not welcome workplace flexibility or work/life balance trends. High levels of responsibility, perks, praise and challenges will motivate this Generation. Furthermore, when understanding Boomers, there’s the issue and added complexity of older Boomers and younger Boomers also known as the First half/Second Half. First halfers are those born in the 1940s. They are more idealistic, more likely to be workaholics and more likely to have put career first, family second. The first halfers’ world view was more affected by the 1950s. The late Bloomers or second halfers tend to feel different about work. They graduated from college and went to work during the Reagan era. They got the first taste of downsizing, large scale layoffs. This makes them more cynical and less gung ho about management than early Boomers. They feel that good work habits and positive mental attitude are not always rewarded and often are not enough to save a job regardless of how well it has been

First and foremost, to understand how the Multigenerational Workforce works, we must know the driving forces behind the current four generations and where they stand today.

Work-focused. Often cited as workaholics, the stereotypical Baby Boomer is extremely work focused. Sally Kane in her article, Baby Boomers, states “position, perks and prestige” are great motivators for Baby Boomers. Because they believe they have put in the long hours and self-sacrifice required to get where they are today, they feel the incoming generations should do the same. They find it difficult to understand the younger generations’ desire to constantly challenge work day hours and their insistence on off-site work options. They are independent and challenge authority, yet are loyal to the team. They are goal oriented and they want to make a difference.

(Tanner, 2011) One very important quality is that they are loyal to their career before their employer. In order to work well with the baby boomers “show them how they can be organizational star, provide them with developmental opportunities, and involve them in operational matters”. (Tanner, 2011) Most of all, whether you are a veteran or any other generation, it is absolutely important to be respectful of your peers and co-workers and patience is your best friend.

They have experienced scarcity, and are very devoted to their work, as they take nothing for granted. Baby Boomers on the other hand, have very different factors that drive their work ethic. Baby Boomers view their work as an “ exciting adventure” (Haywood). Baby Boomers grew up in a generation that was way more rebellious that previous one’s. They are not used to being as responsible or devoted as their parents were, and view work as more of a thrill than a tedious task.

Kyles (2005) defines them as competitive, political, hardworking, and nonconformists. “Known for their workaholic ethic, Boomers will do whatever it takes to get the job done and get ahead, and they expect to be rewarded. They outnumber all generations and hold a majority of management-level positions. They are also approaching retirement and are heavily concerned with financial and job security” (Kyles, 2005, p. 54). This group is very hard working and also offers a lot of wisdom that can be beneficial to those of the younger generations.

Baby boomers are the second group and they were born in the years between 1946 and 1964. More than sixty six percent of them have jobs and thirty three percent of them own their homes. These individuals are optimistic, self-sufficient and place high regard on personal growth. With regards to work ethics, they can multitask and work for long hours. Generation X is the next generation and can be termed as individuals who were born in the years between 1965 and 1977. This group is the best educated and at least forty percent of them have attained a college education. Money is their main motivation and they are highly materialistic. Concerning work ethics, they are viewed as people that can move between jobs and can keep up with changes within organizations. They desire to have their skills and talents to be appreciated and valued. They are risk takers and need continuous feedback and coaching from management. The final generation is known as the Millennials and they were born between 1989 and 1978, Rizzo (2009) defined them as having high levels of cultural diversity, individualism, and general comfort, they were also born during the technology boom. Millennials are hardworking, negotiate for their welfare and are technologically savvy.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964) is the second generational group. This group has a sense of entitlement. They experienced economic prosperity as they were growing up and had the motto “Living to work”. Baby Boomers are competitive and strong willed. They want recognition for their achievements and enjoy things such as pay raises and work incentives as signs of recognition. Baby Boomers believe their personal fulfillment is in relation to their work. They put their worth based on outside opinions of them (Andrews & Boyle, 2012).

They are cause-oriented, workaholics and believe in company loyalty. They care what others think of them but do not take criticism well and may be insulted by constant feedback. Boomers would rather perceive their boss as a friend.