Veteran/Silent, Baby boomers, X Generation (Xers) and the Y Generation/Millenniums (Dot.com generation) are the distinct four groups of people that comprise today’s workforce. Veteran/Silent were born between 1925 and 1946 and are considered the most loyal workers. Having values shaped by the Great Depression, World War II and postwar boom years, they are highly dedicated and the most risk adverse. Baby Boomers grew up watching “I Love Lucy”, experienced the Civil Rights Movement unfold and were born post-World War II between years 1946 to 1964. According to Collier (2015) , Gen X encompasses the lucky group of individuals born in the late 60’s but were born before the 80’s really got started. They represent the pop culture of the 70’s
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On the other end of the spectrum, we have Generation Y. This generation adapts rapidly, craves change and challenge and is exceptionally resilient. Generation Y workers prefer to work in teams rather than individually and finds itself fully immersed in the leadership style. Bridging the gap are the Boomers and Xers. With the Boomers, the face of the workplace began evolving and slowly began to reflect the nation’s changes. Equal opportunity workplace was the term coined by this generation. They began to build awareness of how to get along with co-workers. Generation X grew up in an era of emerging technology. Due to there “latch key “status they learned independence and adaptability early in life. Generation X are technically competent free agents and see themselves as a marketable commodity. In retrospect, history shows Baby Boomers moving away from the authoritative style of management and discovering the benefits of leadership. They prefer teamwork and are more comfortable with leadership and direction from their supervisor. However, Generation X view authority as an unreasonable toughness. They prefer to be looked upon as a partner rather than a worker by their employer. Xers prefer to be managed under relationship-orientated …show more content…
Due to the workforce’s diversity there are several areas that organizations need to address so that the different generations are able to work better together and remain motivated given their differences. Each generation has its own mode of communication. A face to face meeting is preferred by both the Veteran/Silent Generation and Baby Boomer, whereas Generation X and Y having grown up in the age of technology might prefer a technological mode of communication, reference Table 1.1. Considerations should be made to accommodate the styles of each of these group. This can occur by mixing face to face meetings with emails. To help avoid potential clashes it is important to find the right motivation for each group. Monetary incentives may be valued by the Veteran/Silent and Baby Boomer Generation while Generation X and Y may prefer time off from work. Mentoring in the workplace should be an integral component of the employment lifecycle and is an avenue to bridge the generational gap. Mentoring will ensure that the company’s history and knowledge continues from one generation to the next while producing change and movement which is the epitome of
On the other end of the spectrum, we have Generation Y. This generation adapts rapidly, craves change and challenge and is exceptionally resilient. Generation Y workers prefer to work in teams rather than individually and finds itself fully immersed in the leadership style. Bridging the gap are the Boomers and Xers. With the Boomers, the face of the workplace began evolving and slowly began to reflect the nation’s changes. Equal opportunity workplace was the term coined by this generation. They began to build awareness of how to get along with co-workers. Generation X grew up in an era of emerging technology. Due to there “latch key “status they learned independence and adaptability early in life. Generation X are technically competent free agents and see themselves as a marketable commodity. In retrospect, history shows Baby Boomers moving away from the authoritative style of management and discovering the benefits of leadership. They prefer teamwork and are more comfortable with leadership and direction from their supervisor. However, Generation X view authority as an unreasonable toughness. They prefer to be looked upon as a partner rather than a worker by their employer. Xers prefer to be managed under relationship-orientated …show more content…
Due to the workforce’s diversity there are several areas that organizations need to address so that the different generations are able to work better together and remain motivated given their differences. Each generation has its own mode of communication. A face to face meeting is preferred by both the Veteran/Silent Generation and Baby Boomer, whereas Generation X and Y having grown up in the age of technology might prefer a technological mode of communication, reference Table 1.1. Considerations should be made to accommodate the styles of each of these group. This can occur by mixing face to face meetings with emails. To help avoid potential clashes it is important to find the right motivation for each group. Monetary incentives may be valued by the Veteran/Silent and Baby Boomer Generation while Generation X and Y may prefer time off from work. Mentoring in the workplace should be an integral component of the employment lifecycle and is an avenue to bridge the generational gap. Mentoring will ensure that the company’s history and knowledge continues from one generation to the next while producing change and movement which is the epitome of