Four Generational Differences In The Workplace

We are experiencing an interesting period in time. We actually have about 4 different generations currently in our work force. Each of these groups were raised in different households with different standards and different ethics. While each group (your veterans, baby boomers, generation x’s and millennials) have a lot of the same attributes in the workplace, you have many different characteristics that define each generation as their own. While there are lists and lists of differences, I believe that you can dumb them down to a few categories. Notable generational differences in the work place include money management, the importance of work/life balance, and discipline. As each generation changed, their spending habits changed as well. You …show more content…
Your veterans were the hardest workers. Dedicated and respectful, they were focused on their task, and worked for their dreams. They were the definitions of real Americans, before the take over of narcissistic slackers. We then moved into baby boomers who were driven workaholics who believed in quality and working long hours to establish self worth. They were raised in strict house holds by even stricter parents, which brought up a generation that understood the true meaning of discipline, and yet let their children and their children’s children stray from it. It was pretty much down hill for the rest of us at that point. We moved into Gen X’s who were our first slackers. They strayed away from the long work hours, and began the expectations of women bringing in half the income. Though they were a cautious, conservative group, who believed in working smarter then working more, they began to stray from the ethics of their parents and set the downward course of the millennials. The millennials were the least disciplined. They spend money that isn’t theirs and expect no work and all play. Individuality is the name of the game for them, but so is “a great expense”. For others, though, not for themselves. When five o’clock comes …show more content…
All the different generations that continue to work today may now have similar priorities as society has obviously changed in the last seventy years. However as time made its way through each generations life time, the need and the priority for balance between work ad family changed. The veterans were worried about security therefor worked to maintain it through their jobs. The baby boomers refused to take time off from work. Fear was their reasoning, fear of losing their place in the corporate ladder. In turn this caused a large imbalance between their families and their jobs. Things became more lax for the Gen X’ers. Losing their positions in the work place was no longer a fear and asking for time off became a more excepted “practice”. This meant more time was available for family and outside work activities. With the millennials not only was a balance between work and life expected, it was practically demanded. Jobs meant very little, and life would be held at a higher importance. A Sabbatical was practically and expected ok at any time they