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PUBLICATION
| Title: | It’s Not Your Father’s Workplace…Anymore! |
| Source: | Chicago Hospital News |
| Publish Date: | 07/01/2006 |
| Author: | Robert Lautner |
Just like the old advertising line said about a once popular automobile, the Oldsmobile, which no longer exists…nor does the make-up of today’s workplace look like it used to when your parents went to work. It’s not your father’s workplace anymore. It goes well beyond the multitude of new industries, workplace theories and technology and gets into the "face" of what today’s workers "look like".
As a nation, we have grown immensely in skill and capacity for many reasons, and workforce diversity has been a significant part of that growth and success. But when we think of diversity in the workplace, most of us think of ethnic diversity and the dynamics of different cultural backgrounds that makes up the American workforce.
Consider, however, the dynamics of the workplace today driven by age spread. Workers on the cusp of traditional retirement age of 65 who were born in 1941, may be working alongside, or perhaps even reporting to someone several years their junior. The point is, it takes different skills for survival and success in today’s work environment.
Given the dynamics of the work environment, it clearly requires a different set of skills for survival and success, and in many cases the mere definition of success varies from individual to individual. It’s no longer a foregone conclusion that your next boss will be someone older than you and in all likelihood may even be from a different generation. Understanding the differences among work groups and their focus on job, career, life, and what’s important requires different skills to relate up and down the organizational ladder.
Not only does it take different skills to survive in the work environment, it also requires a different approach to the job market, both for hiring managers and for those seeking new employment opportunities.
With the added complexity and pressures of job search (from a hiring and opportunity pursuit perspective), what does one do?
As is so often the case, the more you know, the more prepared you can be to properly handle the potential variances in age, motivation, work philosophies, etc. If at all possible, try to identify or assess the age category of the individual(s) you will be meeting or working with. If you are a Baby Boomer and you know you will be interviewing with a GenXer, you may need to prepare differently than if you are interviewing with someone in the Traditionalist age category. Moreover, if you are reporting to someone organizationally from a different generation, it will be important to pursue proactive, open communications to ensure clear understanding of how you will be working together.
According to an article on this subject reported on the Mayo Clinic website, in its Working Life Section, the generational diversity of the workforce can be divided into four categories, each with it’s own differences in characteristics regarding work ethic, loyalty, political, social and economic perspectives.
Traditionalists: 1900 – 1945
The widest age variation, typically very loyal and hard working, have worked the longest and are starting to retire or working part time jobs.
Baby Boomers: 1946 – 1964
The largest group of workers known for the creation of the ’60 hour week’ whose jobs became their identity.
Gen Xers: 1965 –1980
Basically grew up with early personal computers and video game technology. Many witnessed the beginning of the rightsizing / downsizing era and their parent(s) job loss. Company loyalty has become a thing of the past in many cases and it’s projected that individuals in this category may switch jobs 6-9 times during their careers.
Millennials: 1981 – 1999
Recent college grads are starting to enter the workforce from this age group and many are still in school. This group finds it hard to believe there was a time before personal computers, video games, and cell phones with cameras. Millennials often prefer working outside the rigid constraints of a job description and are focused on keeping their career options open and are likely to make entire career changes versus just job changes.
Cuspers: Overlap two generations and can be very helpful in the workforce by helping mediate or mentor multiple age groups of employees.
Learning as much as possible about the traits of the different generations can be very helpful in surviving and being successful in the work place today, but as is always important, avoid stereotyping. Not all traits apply to everyone.
How do you bridge the gap? Be aware of the differences. Our strength is in our diversity. Understand and appreciate the strengths and manage the differences. You’ll often find that younger workers often value and are eager to learn from their older cohorts and that "old dogs can learn new tricks."
A few resources to learn more about the generational differences among colleagues in the workplace include:
Generations At Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers and Nexters In Your Workplace, by Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak.
Workplace Diversity/: A Manager’s Guide To Solving Problems and Turning Diversity Into A Competitive Advantage, by Kathryn Esty, Richard Griffin, and Marcie Schorr-Hirsch.
Generating Hope: A Strategy for Reaching THE POSTMODERN GENERATION, by Jimmy Long.
Workplace Generation Gap: Understanding Differences Among Colleagues, www.mayoclinic.com/health/working-life/WL00045
Generations At Work: Books, Videos and Audio Tapes, www.generationsatwork.com, by Claire Raines and Jim Hunt.
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