Silents , Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y… Oh My!

1. Silents, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y…Oh My! Jeff Smith, Principal Titan Group jeff@titanhr.com 540-400-6875

2. Agenda • Define generations (Silent, Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials) • Understand the forces that shaped them • Discuss how best to leverage each generation • Share management tools/tips • Learn how to best manage each talented group

3. Why do we care about this topic?

4. Terminology • Silent Generation • Born 1925-1945 • Boomers • Born 1946-1964; 80 million • Gen X • Born 1965-1981; 51 million • Millennials (Gen Y) • Born 1982-2003; 80 million

5. Who is this guy and why should I care? Your next Manager is likely a huge fan of his…

6. Which of the Following Means the Most to You? Jimi Hendrix dies MTV debuts Kurt Cobain dies Elvis joins the Army

7. Then You Are a… Elvis joins the Army (Silent) Jimi Hendrix dies (Boomer) MTV debuts (Gen Xer) Kurt Cobain dies (Millennial)

9. Famous Silent Generation 9

10. Silent Generation at a Glance Born 1925-1945; smaller than boomers Conventional Grave; fatalistic Faithful Want to leave the work force Looking to leave a legacy; mentor others Believe in hard work, paying your dues, will be recognized if job is done well

11. Silents Shaped By… Great Depression WWII Korean War Politics of Inclusion Artistic expression Saving money

12. Silent Management 101 Respect Recognition Flexibility (review schedules; f.t. vs. p.t.) Ask them what they want to be doing? Legacy

14. Famous Boomers

15. Baby Boomers at a Glance Born 1946-64; 80 million Challenged authority Idealistic Money, title and recognition Stellar career; competitive Starting to burn out Believe in hard work, paying your dues, will be recognized if job is done well

16. Boomers Shaped By… Suburbia TV Vietnam, Watergate Protests Human Rights Movement Drugs and Rock ‘n Roll Shifting from Pensions to 401k’s

17. Boomer Management 101 Respect Authority Recognition Status Show them key to success Flexibility (review schedules; f.t. vs. p.t.) Challenge them to continue growing

18. 6 7 2 5 1 3,4

19. Famous Gen Xers

20. Generation X at a Glance Born 1965-1981; 51 Million Balance between work and life Value freedom Flexible and motivated Build a portable career Skeptical

21. Gen Xers Shaped by… Sesame Street, MTV Game Boy; Atari; Nintendo PC Divorce rate tripled Latch key children Parent’s laid off from AT&T, Chrysler, etc.

22. Gen Xer Management 101 Avoid judging Accommodate individual needs whenever possible Demonstrate competence to earn respect Forgive impatience Be a coworker until someone requires a boss Create fun events and a stimulating environment Celebrate the heroes on your staff

24. Famous Millennials

25. Millennials at a Glance • Born between 1982-2003; 80 million • Gen Y, Internet generation, Echo Boom, Nexters, Nintendo or Digital generation • Need mentoring; growth opportunities • Confident • Hopeful • Goal- and achievement-oriented • Civic-minded • Inclusive-like working in teams

26. Millennials Shaped By… Focus on children and family Scheduled, structured lives Parent Advocacy Terrorism Heroism Patriotism Multiculturalism Globalism Hurricane Katrina

27. Millennial Management 101 You be the leader Challenge me Let me work with friends Let’s have fun Respect me Be flexible Don’t expect them to pay their dues; don’t dampen their enthusiasm Constant feedback

28. Millennials at Play Source: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press 2007 80% talk to their parents daily and 75% see their parents weekly 50% have modified their body with a tattoo or piercing 20% have little or nothing to do with religion 33% pay attention to politics "most of the time" 48% identify as Democratic Party and 35% as Republicans 40% feel that as a citizen they have a "duty" to vote 23% read the newspaper 67% feel that immigration is good for the country 74% support privatizing Social Security 47% support gay marriage

29. Welcome to Your Workforce

30. 3 Divides Technology Attitude toward business Consumer attitude mindset

31. Technology 24/7 Connectivity Breaks down hierarchies Encourages networks Challenges traditional management practices Is it a tool or a toy

32. Attitude Towards Business Silent—Loyalty Boomers—Competitive; move ahead Xers—Skeptical Millennials—What are you doing for—me, the community and are you honest?

33. Consumer Attitude Question value High-quality Easily to handle microwavable experiences Want to know how you have grown your skills

34. 3 R’s and 3 C’s Respected Recognized Remembered Coached Consulted Connected Decoding Generation Differences, W. Stanton Smith p. 26

35. Key Motivational Factors Daniel Pink—Drive • Autonomy • Mastery • Purpose Carrot and stick is so last century!!!

36. Management Tips for All Mindset of thinking flexibly Work with friends Respect Have some fun Sense of humor Challenge and stretch employees minds Mentor

37. Millennials Management Tips Engaging experiences Transferable skills Provide rationale for the work Reward extra effort Variety of tasks Help with flexible schedules Teams

38. Problem: My Younger Workers Want More Flexible Schedules Solutions: Hours Ability to connect with outside world Less hours More flexibility of location of work More time off

39. Problem: My Younger Workers Seem to Need Constant Feedback…Why? Why? Why? Solutions: Pull-up to their desk Explain the rationale Okay to text or tweet responses Schedule short meetings more often Review their growth at least quarterly

40. Problem: Getting People Interested in Management Roles Solutions: Need to explain what’s in it for me (WIIFM) Highlight the learning opportunities Create a strong mentoring/coaching program Outline who they will be working with Identify how many extra hours will be required? Define the compensation Link their role to the vision; provide lots of feedback

41. Problem: Keeping Key Boomers and Silents Solutions: Flexible schedules (Part-time) Identify growth possibilities Set up them up with a mentee Leave a legacy (Silent; older Boomers) Set clear expectations for promotion

42. Problem: Retaining top young talent Solutions Make it less about work Connect with the community Let them work in teams Let them choose a mentor Give them meaningful work Allow more flexibility Ask for their opinions

43. What Can I do Tomorrow? Create mentoring programs Have a coaching session with a direct report about their career Explain changes you are hoping for Learn something new from a millennial

44. About Titan Group LLC • Formed in 2001 • Owners: • Lee Weisiger & Genevieve Roberts • 9 Employees (7 Consultants) • 100+ years of HR Experience • Headquartered in Richmond, VA • Office in Roanoke, VA • Five year annual growth rate over 30% • Named Small Business Success Story by Virginia Business Magazine in 2008. www.TitanHR.com

45. Our Services • Compensation Services • Employee Training & Leadership Development • HR Advisory Services • Talent Strategy Services • Executive Compensation & Benefits • Roanoke Regional Compensation Survey in the Fall—stay tuned!!! www.TitanHR.com

46. Recommended Resources • Decoding Generational Differences: Fact, fiction or should we just get back to work? (W. Stanton Smith, Deloitte) • Generations at Work (Ron Zemke) • Millennials Rising (Neil Howe, William Strauss) • Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics (Morley Winograd, Michael D. Hais) • Pew Research Center For The People & The Press • How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics • Managing the Millennials (Espinoza, Rusch and Ukleja)