4 Generations in the Workplace: How Can We All Get Along?

Guest post by Laura Chapman, Director, Lacher & Associates, DVFBC Premier Educational Partner

How can we successfully manage and engage the multi-generational workforce? One important strategy is to engage the individual. Each of your employees has unique needs and goals. Each generation has unique characteristics and qualities.

For example:

Traditionalists (age 65+) are the oldest working generation and usually work because they want to. As a result, they are the most engaged generation in the workplace.

Baby Boomers (age 50-64) are a large portion of today’s workforce and hold many executive-level positions within organizations. Baby Boomers grew up after World War II and saw their parents’ frugality as a result of the Great Depression. Because of this they work long, hard hours and are very loyal to their companies.

Generation X (age 35-49) tends to be a more skeptical, independent generation. They also hold many leadership positions in organizations and see work as a challenge; although unlike the previous generation, they do not “Live to Work.” They see the value in a more flexible workplace and do not want rigid rules to hold them back.

Millennials (age 20-34) are the youngest working generation and will comprise the majority of the workforce by 2025. They see work more as a means to an end, and they value social contributions of organizations. They want flexibility in how, where, and when they work because they can access information anytime, anywhere with mobile devices. They like to be challenged and given new responsibilities.

Learn More

Interested in strategies to engage each generation according to their workplace preferences and characteristics? Join us on April 28^th to learn more from Laura, Scott Hackman (DVFBC), and Matt Roessler (Proxus) at our Best Practice Event: 5 Myths About Millennials, Boomers, & Gen-X in the Workplace

Blog reposted with permission from Lacher & Associates. Read entire article here.