Helping People be Better at Work

“Generations in the Workplace”

Dealing with the Issues and the Risk

We’re living thirty years longer than we did a hundred years ago. For the first time in our

nation’s history, America has 5 living generations, each with their own unique

formative years and, thus, with their own core values and attitudes.

1 2 3 4 5

There are four generations in the workplace:

1. Traditionalists 2. Boomers3. Xers4. Millennials

Each one has very different attitudes towards their career, bosses, fellow workers, and lifestyles.

Managing this amazing mix is becoming increasingly difficult.

But when managed properly, the output of such human diversity can be astonishing.

Between our birth and the age 20, we form most of the core values and beliefs that we will embrace our

entire lives.

What we witness, experience and are taught will largely dictate our belief system for life.

Hence, the term "formative years".

Our Perspective and Values…are shaped by the world around us during our

formative years

Gen Y

1981-2000

Gen X

1965-1980

Baby Boomer

1946-1964

Traditionalist

1920-1945

The Four Generations at Work

Ages: 63 to 88 Ages: 44 to 62 Ages: 28 to 43 Ages: 8 to 27

Traditional GenerationLifetime Experiences:

Great Depression New Deal World War I and II Korean War

TraditionalistsAttributes

Values

Turn-offs

Family

Diversity

Slogans

Disciplined, stable, patient, private

Conformity, respect for authority, clear sense of right and wrong

Traditional, nuclear, self sacrifice

Ethnically segregated

Vulgarity

Uncle Same Wants You!

Traditionalists At WorkCareer Choice

Career Mindset

Job Strength

View of Authority

View of Rules

Leadership

Feedback

Communi-cation

Father’s career

Work hard

Stable, knowledgeable, experienced

Love them!

Respectful

By Hierarchy

No news is good news

One-on-one, in private, memos, letters, anything formal

Traditionalists in the Workplace

Role confusion may lead to lack of engagement

Need to feel respected for

their contributions and

knowledge

Lack of technological

and team orientation

doesn’t mean they are

ineffective

Baby BoomersLifetime Experiences:

Civil Rights Sexual Revolution Space Travel Assassinations

Baby BoomersAttributes

Values

Turn-offs

Family

Diversity

Slogans

Adaptive, goal-oriented, positive attitude optimistic

Individual choices and freedom, community, prosperity, personal gratification and self improvement

Political incorrectness

“Me Generation” parenting style and now divorce – sandwich caretakers

Creators of integration

Be All You Can Be

Boomers At WorkCareer Choice

Career Mindset

Job Strength

View of Authority

View of Rules

Leadership

Feedback

Communi-cation

Popular careers, prestige and money

Driven, Live to work!

Service OrientatedTeam Players

Love/Hate

Buck them!

By Consensus

Once a year with documentation

Call or email anytime

Baby Boomers in the Workplace

Prefer face to face

interaction

Avoid conflict

Believe in group

decision making

Value personal

gratification

Seek high achievement

Generation XLifetime Experiences:

Fall of Berlin Wall Watergate Women’s Liberation Desert Storm Energy Crisis

Generation XAttributes

Values

Turn-offs

Family

Diversity

Slogans

Adaptable, independent, reliable, skeptical,technologically savvy

Fun!, informality, honesty “quality” time, “friends” and family

Clichés, hype, double speak,

Me-decade parents, latch-key kids, attention deprived, “over correct” with their own children.

First generation fully integrated

An Army of One

Gen X At WorkCareer Choice

Career Mindset

Job Strength

View of Authority

View of Rules

Leadership

Feedback

Communica-tion

My own career, marketablecommodity

Work to live ! Wantsflexibility

Independent, adaptable and techno literate

Unimpressed and Un-intimidated

By Competence

Question them

Interrupts and asks how they are doing

Call or email, but only at work during work hours – personal time is off limits

Generation X in the Workplace

Have a non-traditional

attitude toward work

Look for opportunities

for professional

growth

Don’t want to be micromanaged or

work in a rigid environment

Expect work/life balance

Generation Y

Lifetime Experiences:

School Shootings Oklahoma City Bombing Technology Child Focused World

Generation YAttributes

Values

Turn-offs

Family

Diversity

Slogans

Crave change and challenge, resilient, committed and loyal when dedicated to an idea, cause or product, global in perspective

Accept others of diverse backgrounds easily and openly

Inclusiveness, self-expression, marketing and branding self is important

Respect must be earned—not freely granted based on age, authority or title

Merged families/protected, child-centered upbringing

Army Strong

Gen Y At WorkCareer Choice

Career Mindset

Job Strength

View of Authority

View of Rules

Leadership

Feedback

Communi-cation

Careers? How many? Parallel careers

Live! Work! Do it all! Achieve Now!

Multi-Taskers and Techno Savvy

Relationship with boss is critical

Want to make their own choices

By Pulling Together

No news means bad news –feedback immediate and constant

Text message, instant message, email

Generation Y in the Workplace

Best educated generation

Are creative and socially expressive

Crave and seek out change and

innovation

Look for immediate response,

teamwork and recognition

Generational Conflict

Conflict can and will arise at work due to different perspectives on

1.Work Ethics2.Work/Life Balance

Seek first to understand differences Response to conflict comes

from core values

Managing Generations At Work

Accommodate employee differences

Create workplace choices

Operate for a sophisticated management

Respect competence and initiative

Nourish retention

What will it take for all generations to work well together?

New understanding or what employees

want from their workplace experience

Understanding of loyalty and how

to develop it (not through pay,

promotions and benefits

A new definition of

self

What will it Take for Change?

New behavior from leaders who realize younger workers enter the workforce seeking self-fulfillment and aren’t interested in “paying their dues” for an unspecified

amount of time for a vague reward

EAP as a Management Tool

Informal/suggested workplace referrals

Formal Workplace Consultations and

Referrals

Case Management

Workplace Referral Form

Workplace Consent Form

800-968-8143 www.firstsuneap.com

If you would like more in depth training at your workplace or if you have questions please call us!