Multiple Generations in the Workforce – Can’t We All Just Get Along?

1. Multiple Generations in the Workforce – Can’t We All Just Get Along? Terri M. Manning, Ed.D. Center for Applied Research Central Piedmont Community College

2. Generations Living in America in 2009 • Veterans 1925-1942 • 37 million living • Baby Boomer 1943 – 1965 • 79 million living • Generation X – 1966-1981 • 61 million living • Millennials – 1982 – 2002 • 105 million living • Generation Z 2003-2022 • About 21 million so far

3. Employment by Age Group 2010 Household Survey, US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

4. Numbers in the Workforce 24.2%

5. No one has seen more change than the veterans…..

6. Computers

7. Telephones

8. Adding and Subtracting

9. Recording Devices

10. Source: Greg Hammill, FDU Magazine, Winter/Spring 2005

11. Source: Greg Hammill, FDU Magazine, Winter/Spring 2005

12. Did you ever use one of these???

13. Veterans - How They Learn • New is not necessarily better • Not innovative with new ideas • Like structure, schedules and procedures • Brain processes new ideas into old mental framework • Some refuse to work with technology (too overwhelming a learning curve, others jump in) • Want clear expectations and guidelines • Must memorize the basics

14. Childhood and School Experiences for Veterans • Hard work • Respected their elders • Children were to be seen and not heard • Some diversity in schools due to funding but segregation • Performance based on individual ability • Little feedback unless negative • More intrinsic reward for good performance • Learned from history (other’s experiences) • Small class size, one curriculum for all • No special ed (students no where in sight) • Virtually never tested with standardized tests – less comparison to others

15. Values of Employees in this Age Group • Loyal to employer (company man) and expect the same in return • Believe they should be rewarded for tenure • Work ethic = efficiency and hard work • Stable, thorough and detail oriented • Don’t buck the system but work within it • Uncomfortable with conflict and disagreements • Not change oriented

16. How Boomers Learn • Want things to fit into the “big picture” • Want recognition for how well they have done • Team oriented, work well in groups • Like to explore and analyze, look at different views • Follow instructions well • Good with content

17. Boomer’s Childhood and School Experiences • Overwhelmed the school system, large class sizes • Ability grouped (red birds and blue birds) • Question authority but respect position • See life as an adventure (and school) • Emphasis on team work (cohort education) • Need silence to concentrate • Were told “you are lucky to be here, others are standing in line to get in.” • Segregated by race, the battles began for desegregation • No special ed students in school (in most states) but honors courses in a few subjects • Rarely tested and not for school performance (PSAT, SAT)

18. Values of Boomer Employee • Majority of employees (age 46-67ish) • Always share personal experience – “what has happened to me is relevant to you” • Value stability and respect • Like to see their successes • Tend to “workaholism” and have difficulty balancing their lives, working 40 hours is “slack.” • Are competitive • See themselves as the standard of comparison • Appreciate technology because of how easy it makes their work – still fear they might “break it” and may have a “back-up plan”

19. Boomers at Work • Ethic = long hours show commitment • Team oriented and relationship builders (don’t like conflict – can’t we all just get along) • Not budget minded • Sensitive to feedback

20. Remember these……

21. How Gen Xers Learn • Task oriented – like to learn new skills • Speed is important • Self-paced learning, independent learning • Want to have fun while they learn • Informal learning environments are best • Hate group work • Want feedback from teacher

22. Gen X Childhood and School Experiences • Learned to rely on self (less patience with teams) • Distrust authority • Seek challenging environment (career education emphasis) • Want feedback on progress • Want to do things their way – like no rules and freedom on assignments • Had special ed classrooms in school but separated • Had honors programs • Funding cut to education • Testing “mania” began with them • First daycare centers and latch-key kids (high divorce) • Some diversity, began earnest desegregation in schools

23. Gen Xers as Employees • Significant number of employees (age 29-45ish) • Cynical and pessimistic • Want work-life balance • Think globally and seek independence • Like technology and want an informal work environment • Don’t want the boomers’ work ethic • Communication is important and talk to adults as friends/peers (not impressed with authority) • Believe reward should be based on productivity not hours worked • Want control of self, time and future • Loyalty to people not a company • Impatient with poorer people skills

24. Remember these…..

25. Was this your first video game?

26. Was this your first calculator and cell phone?

27. The Echo Boom/Millennials… • The Millennialsare almost as large as the baby boom-some say larger - depending on how you measure them (approx. 81M). Keep growing due to immigration. • The Millennials are the children born between 1982 and 2002 (peaked in 1990), a cohort called by various names: Echo Boom GenerationY Millennials Net Generation

28. Things Began to Change for This Generation • Abortion rates peaked in 1980 and began a slow decline. • Poverty rate for children peaked in 1983 and began a slow decline (Medicaid began). • US divorce rate peaked in 1981 and began a decline. • Homicide rate against children peaked in 1982 and began a decline. • They were born into a better world, a more optimistic world than the generation before them.

29. This is what they grew up with?

30. What We Know • 35% are non-White • 1 in 5 has at least one parent who is an immigrant • Have the best educated mothers in history • Have better educated parents • Came out of the infertility era – were very wanted as children • Grew up during a monumental financial boom • Safest generation we have seen

31. What We Know • Born to older parents and raised in smaller families (lots of only children) – many have never shared a room • Been plugged in since they were babies • Expect technology to be free • Think it is cool to be smart • Have had cell phones since they were children • Expect to have 4 or more jobs in their lifetime • Are as interested in where they live as what they do – so cities are working to attract them

32. Technology Changes • Cell Phones • 92% of people have cell phones (2007). Expect to be in contact 24/7. • Not a phone – a lifestyle management tool • Staying “connected” is essential. • Communication is a safety issue for parents. • Communication has become casual for millennials (IM, email, texting and cell phones.

33. Most Used Cell Phone Features http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/mobile-phone-us.html

34. Children and Teens and Technology Children and Teens on the Computer Cell Phone Usage Source: Los Angeles Times

35. Texting • The typical American teen sends 50 messages a day or 1,500 a month. • 31% of teens send and receive more than 100 messages a day (3,000 a month.) • 65% of high school students use cell phones in school, 25% text in class. • 86% of adults have cell phones.

37. Mobile Devices • 25% of Americans 12 and older have listened to audio from an iPod. • 18% of 8-18 year-olds have iPods/MP3 Players in 2004 – 76% by 2009. • 26% of people read news on a mobile device. The average American digests 34 gigabytes of information outside of work daily, • More than 500 million members on Facebook and 100 million access Facebook from a mobile device

38. Daily Technology/Media Use Kaiser Generation M2-Kids/Youth/Media Survey (Jan. 2010)

39. Social Networking • The world spends 110 billion minutes on social-media and blog sites. This equates to 22% of all the time online or 1 in every 4 ½ minutes. • These sites were visited by 75% of the global consumers who go online. The average visitor spends almost 6 hours a month. • Facebook passed the 500 million user mark in July 2010. • 50% of Americans have profiles on social networking sites. Source: www.web-strategist.com

40. Common Sense Media Poll (Aug. 2009) • Teen social networking by the numbers - • 51 Percentage of teens check their sites more than once a day. • 22 Percentage check their sites more than 10 times a day. • 39 Percentage have posted something they later regretted. • 37 Percentage have used the sites to make fun of other students. • 25 Percentage have created a profile with a false identity. • 24 Percentage have hacked into someone else's social networking account. • 13 Percentage have posted nude or seminude pictures or videos of themselves or others online.

41. Influenced by Customer Service Movement • Expect what they paid for • Everyone should be concerned that they are satisfied and happy • If they are not happy with your answer, they will go over your head • Expect colleges to bend over backwards to please them • Not the way it works in higher education • Savvy consumers and will stay under your radar as long as possible

42. Millennial Childhood and School Experiences • Many private schools, charter schools, magnet schools – all to meet the needs of the individual child –many, many choices • School uniforms, child safety, high performance standards, character education, cooperative learning and community service • Goal oriented – outcome based education (what’s in it for me) • School is a means to an end – one must endure until the next level • Interactive, participatory and engaging – are consulted by adults • Everything 24/7 and available electronically

43. Millennial School Experiences • No “grunt work” - must do “meaningful work”, participate in decisions • International flavor, celebrate diversity, different is okay • Motivated by working with bright, motivated and moral people • Student makes judgments about truth and believability of what is taught • Classroom mainstreamed – multiple levels based on ability and interest • Constantly tested and compared to peers (learned to take tests so now of little use for college admissions) • Feel pressure for high achievement

44. How Millennials Learn • Try it their way – always looking for better, faster way of doing things • Prefer graphics before text, reading of excerpts • Like small and fast processing technology – best when networked • Want instant gratification and frequent rewards (spot)

45. How Millennials Learn • Focus on skill development – not memorization of what they perceive they don’t need to know • Productivity is key – not attendance – so make class worthwhile or they won’t come • Have different critical thinking skills based on their high tech world not thought processing (need help here) • Rely on teacher to facilitate learning • Group think and interaction

46. Millennials - Not Very Hardy • Our parents told us “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” and “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” • Their philosophy “when the going gets tough, it means you should try another route” and “if at first you don’t succeed, maybe you shouldn’t be here.” • They have trouble staying in rigid and non-flexible environments.

47. Focus on Retention • “Ambitious yet aimless” characterizes this generation • They work for a while until they save enough money to live for a while, then quite – play for several months and then look for work again. • They know at the age of 21 that they may have to work until they are 70 – 75. So why hurry into a career job now. • They have the same attitude with school. • They stop out regularly and see if things work out. They appear to be in “no hurry.” • They swirl….

48. How to Attract Millennials to Jobs • When looking for a job, they think they are not having the right conversations. • Instead of talking about roles and job titles, talk about values and skills. • “I don’t care is you call me a business analyst or consultant, I just want my job to: 1) allow me to do problem solving, 2) work in a democratic organization, and 3) empower the workers to affect change, etc.” Source: 20 Somethings Success: A Guide to Corporate Success for 20 Somethings. http://www.20somethingsuccess.com/2009/01/what-attracts-me-in-job-posting.html

49. In An Add • Describe what the potential hire should value and what skills they should have. • “You’re relentlessly positive.” • “You are comfortable with ambiguity, and imagine alternative possible outcomes.” • “Someone who is largely self-motivated, who finds satisfaction in reaching self-imposed goals, and is willing to regularly raise the bar on those goals.” Source: 20 Somethings Success: A Guide to Corporate Success for 20 Somethings. http://www.20somethingsuccess.com/2009/01/what-attracts-me-in-job-posting.html

50. Cities are Trying to Attract Them • Some things suggested are: • Improving schools • Vitalize downtown areas • Advertise the cultural fabric of the area • Encourage diversity • Bars specializing in local beers • Mass transit, bike lanes • Local food sources