Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8Generational Stereotypes By: Angela Davis Clark, HR Director We find that generational differences have an impact on how employees perform their job and what employees expect in a work environment. Every employee has different life experiences, perspectives, and views, which are valuable to a workplace. Some companies have Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y (aka Millennials), and Gen Z, all under one roof. The differences in values, communication and work habits/ethics of each generation are recognizable. Each generation has work-related stereotypes: •Traditionalist, born before 1946, are described as individuals who are loyal; good interpersonal skills; and believe that promotions, raises and recognition come with tenure. •Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are described as individuals who are competitive; think workers should pay their dues; usually communicate face-to-face, via phone and email; don’t mind working long hours; don’t need constant feedback; and favor more traditional and static training methods like Power Point presentations and handbooks. •Gen X, born between 1965 and 1980, are described as individuals who are skeptical; independent-minded; usually communicate face-to-face, via phone and by email; and dislike the formality of meetings. •Gen Y (aka Millennials), born between 1981 and 1994, are described as individuals who are teamwork oriented; want feedback; use technology; usually communicate by sending text messages, tweets and instant messages; seek validation and approval; value and expect a healthy work-life balance; and gravitate towards more interactive, technology- based forms of learning. •Gen Z, born after 1994, are described as individuals who are smart, collaborative and creative (yet not team-players); problem-solvers; independent and self-directed; and process information quickly. It is estimated that in four (4) years, Millennials will account for nearly half the employees in the world. For Millennials, time spent in the office is not as vital as the results they produce. They work to live; not live to work. Millennials generally don’t work well under rigid management structure. That has presented a problem for government agencies, because we operate on rigid structure such as laws, statutes, policies, and procedures. That is why it has become more challenging to recruit Millennials for government jobs; it is not as attractive as the private industry. They prefer open collaborations that allow them to share information and contribute in decision-making. Most all employees dislike performance evaluations, but Millennials thrive on constant feedback. They tend to use abbreviations, informal language and colloquialisms, which may sometimes cause serious communication problems. They are technology savvy; they are not apprehensive about computers and smart devices as in comparison to other generations. It is important we recognize that diverse ethnicity, generations, and thinking are critical to all organizations. A good way to approach a multi-generational work environment is to allow employees to work in the style that best suits them and acknowledge the efforts of each team member. The accepted practice would be to focus on the results employees produce rather than on how they get it done, unless it deters customer service or (by law) it must be completed in a certain way. Everyone should learn to be more open, and attempt to see the world from a different generational set of lenses. No matter which generation you fall in, we must understand our customer needs and render VIP service. Regardless of generation, co-workers should acknowledge each other’s differences and work together respectfully. The key is to be able to capitalize on generational differences and make it a benefit (not deterrent) for this agency. Wall Street Journal, How to Manage Different Generations, http://guides.wsj.com/ management/managing-your-people/how-to- manage-different-generations...., Retrieved 03/08/2017 Gausepohl, Shannon, Business News Daily, December 5, 2016, Tackling 4 Key Challenges of the Multigenerational Workforce, http://www. businessnewsdaily.com/6609-multigenerational- workforce-challenges.html, Retrieved 03/08/2017 Shah, Rawn, Forbes, April 20, 2011, Working With Five Generations In the Workplace, https:// www.forbes.com/sites/rawnshah/2011/04/20/ working-with-five-generations-in-the-workplace, Retrieved 03/08/2017. http://extension.missouri.edu/extcouncil/ documents/ecyl/Meet-the-generations.pdf 3 TRADITIONALIST pre-1946 BABY BOOMERS 1946-1964 GEN X 1965-1980 GEN Y 1981-1994 GEN Z After 1995