ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2006 > April > 16
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Defining generations in the office
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“I’m younger/older than many of the other employees in my company. Sometimes that’s fine and sometimes it’s not so fine!”
“When I walk around my office, or just listen from my cube, there’s a lot going through my mind about communication challenges. I sometimes feel there are big differences in values and work style and I’m not always sure what they’re about.”
Sound familiar? If you have said things like that, you are not alone!
For the first time ever, there are four generations in the workplace! And it’s not about to change any time soon.
Here’s how the experts breakdown some of the defining values of the four generations:
Matures or Traditionalists - Employees that were born before 1946 and number about 27 million.
- Respect for hierarchy (i.e. top-down management)
- Men belong in the workplace; women at home
- The nuclear family is of importance
Baby Boomers - Employees that were born between 1946 and 1964 and number about 76 million
- Television
- Civil rights and feminism
- Casual clothing expresses individuality
Gen Xers - Employees that were born between 1965 and 1980 and number about 60 million
- The Watergate Scandal
- Microwave technology
Divorce and single-parent families are common
Millennials, Gen Yers or Generation Next - People that were born between 1981 and 1999, number about million and are just starting to enter the work force
Business scandals - Enron
- Emphasis of multiculturalism and globalization
- Terrorism
- Expanded use of technology, the cell phone and Internet
- Ability to do multitasking
- Back to the value of family (i.e. close parent-child relationships)
What generation are you part of and what do you like about it? What do you like and dislike about the other generations? What do you wish the other generations knew about your generation?
What work-related challenges do you deal with in your company because of your generation? What might be some ways that members of another generation could help you with your challenges?
Note: Your comments may appear in Sunday’s Jobs section.
