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Executive Summary There have always been large variances in age in the workplace but the workplace of 2011 contains the most versatile workforce to date. How does the generation gap affect today’s workplace? The generation gap is more of an issue in today’s workplace for many reasons with some of the main causes being major advancements in technology as well as changes in the way today’s employees view work and home life, compared to employees from earlier generations. There are four groups of generations in today’s workplace: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, and Millennials. Each group is unique and a valued part of the organization they belong to however, each group prefers to work in different ways and expects different things out of their career. Whereas Traditionalists are concerned with moving up the corporate ladder, Millenials are concerned with higher education and skills they learn that can be taken with them on their next career move. Generation Xers and Millennials also dress differently than the older generations as well as view work/home balance more importantly than prior generations. Generation Xers and Millennials prefer to use modern technology as their method of communication due to the fact they were raised with these devices in their daily life. Traditionalists, on the other hand, prefer to communicate in person. They are not as skilled with modern day computer systems therefore it takes them much longer to complete the same tasks. Today’s workplace is also monitored in a more relaxed manner than the workplace of Traditionalists or Baby Boomers. Due to advancements in technology, employees now have the opportunity to telework and enter their hours worked on websites instead of punching time clocks and being physically there for 8 hours each day. In conclusion, there will always be generation gaps in the workplace. The key is to determine the best way for each member of an organization to work effectively and for each to be satisfied with what they see as most important.
Throughout history there have always been generation gaps in the workplace. Due to advancements in technology and changes in the way we think, it is now becoming an issue however. Over the past twenty years, employees have gone from learning to use a computer to not being able to live without one. We now email, text, or instant message more than we talk to one another on the phone. These differences as well as many others impact today’s workplace dramatically. The older generations such as the Traditionalists and Baby Boomers prefer to communicate via phone, memos, or face to face. This style of work is much different than that of the Generation Xers and the Millennials.
In order to understand the ways in which each generation in the workplace differs, we must first look at what makes up each generation. Traditionalists are hard workers who “grew up during the Great Depression and were largely influenced by the terrible economic climate of the time. As a result, they view work as an unwavering commitment and appreciate the opportunity to earn a paycheck” (Beekman, 2011, p.15). They tend to put work first in order to provide for their family which in turn leads to less quality time spent with their loved ones. Beekman (2011) states “baby boomers make up the largest percentage of today’s workforce and unlike Traditionalists, Boomers grew up during healthy economic times and have a more optimistic outlook on life and work” (p.15). This generation tends to work hard with high expectations and expects the younger generations to establish this mindset as well. Generation X employees, in order to feel fulfilled in life, require a good balance between work and home life. They expect to enjoy their job and create true friendships with their coworkers. Unlike Traditionalists and Baby Boomers, Generation Xers are not concerned with loyalty to their employer. They are concerned with what will make them better and balance their life in the manner in which they desire. Finally, the Generation Y employees, also known as Millennials, “were born in the era of the computer and are adept at working with technology; typically they are good at multi-tasking and are willing to work wherever and whenever necessary” (Beekman, 2011, p.16).
The Millennial generation that is quickly establishing themselves in today’s workforce is more concerned with higher-education than promotions. As Rachel Azaroff states, “the younger generation prefers to move laterally and cross train to gain new skills instead of receive a promotion” (as cited in Rawlins, Indvik, and Johnson, 2008, p.6). Although education has always been valued, it was not until the Generation Xers and Millennials became a large majority of the workforce that attaining an advanced degree or certification became part of the norm. “Members of Generation Y are attracted to organizations that invest heavily in training and development, care about their employees as individuals, provide clear opportunities for long-term career progression, allow variety in their daily work, and have a dynamic forward-looking approach to their business” (Parry and Urwin, 2011, p.87-88).
Due to advancements in technology, employers are able to offer many different ways of working and keeping in touch. For the Generation Xers and Millennials of today this is part of the norm. For Traditionalists and Baby Boomers some, but not all, of these new workplace traditions are not thought highly of. One new workplace tradition is instant messaging. Most companies now have instant messaging on everyone’s workstations as a way of quickly communicating. The older generation dislikes this form of communication and prefers their “tried and true methods”. Because the younger generation grew up with email and text messaging, they prefer non-verbal communication and sometimes feel intimidated or nervous when having to speak to someone face to face. As stated in the article by Team Works Global (n.d.) “although Generation Y employees might believe it is appropriate to respond to a question with an instant message, a Baby Boomer employee might expect a face-to-face interaction” (p5). For example, when I first started my current position, I was accustomed to instant messaging unless someone was sitting next to me. From the beginning, I communicated to my client via instant messaging or email and did not see an issue with doing so. I later found out from my team lead/manager that my client was displeased with my non-verbal communication and viewed it as unprofessional. She mentioned to him that she did not like our only communication to be through non-verbal methods and felt that it was a generational custom that anyone under the age of 30 preferred to communicate in this way. Part of the issue with non-verbal communication is that Millennials use a lot of abbreviations in their messages that members of the Baby Boomer generation may not understand. Traditionalists and Baby Boomers did not have opportunities to abbreviate anything they were discussing whereas Generation Xers and Millennials tend to abbreviate most of what they say.
Before the 1980’s when computers and the Internet began making their way into the workplace, Traditionalists and Boomers were required to punch their timecard whenever they came into the office and anytime they left. Today however, with the advancements in technology, most employers have a timekeeper system online that can be accessed either in the office or anywhere the employee has access to a computer. Older generations were also accustomed to filing hard copies of files into filing cabinets. Many members of the Millennial generation may not have ever used a filing cabinet as everything these days is usually saved somewhere on the company computer or site such as SharePoint, and backed up on the company server.
Another new workplace tradition is teleworking. Again, due to advancements in technology, many employers give the option of working from home/teleworking as part of their regular schedule. This benefits the employee greatly in situations such as inclement weather, illness, or family issues. When Traditionalists and Baby Boomers began working they had to go to work every day from very early to sometimes very late and did not have the option many of us have today. Teleworking has become a great advantage and it has led to more flexibility in today’s workplace. However, unlike the older generations who, if working from home, work as hard if not harder while doing so, many Generation Xers and Millennials tend to slack when they are “working from home”. This difference in work ethic has a lot to do with the way the different generations were raised and the morals and values they embrace. While not implying the younger generations have poor morals, they simply place value on different things and feel that taking advantage in this way is not necessarily a bad thing as long as they complete their work on time.
Another way in which the four generations differ is in what they consider a positive work environment. Whereas Traditionalists and Boomers are accustomed to daily or weekly meetings, “Millennials and Generation Xers dislike the formality of regular meetings, especially when there is nothing to discuss” (“Generations,”2009). When I first started my career I was employed with SAIC. The Director required a bi-annual training week that consisted of different courses or seminars every session. In one of the sessions, a course on Meeting Effectiveness was held and a video clip was shown of a small group of employees sitting around a conference table waiting for their manager to come in and start the meeting. When the manager finally arrived, he went around the room to see if anyone had anything to discuss and the team all responded “no”. The manager then stated he did not have anything to discuss either but because the meeting was scheduled he felt they had to keep with the schedule. This was a very good lesson on time management-or lack of, to many members of our team as a lot of Traditionalists and Boomers in the workplace believe in always keeping a schedule.
“You always look like the most comfortable person at work!” I have been told that many times because instead of wearing suits and high heels to the office, I wear comfortable, work appropriate clothing along with moccasins. My response is always “my work speaks for itself so it should not matter exactly how I am dressed as long as the client and Program Manager are ok with what I am wearing”. This is a perfect example of the different generations and what they feel is the norm. Traditionalists have made a habit of wearing suits every day, even when it is not necessary. Boomers will dress similar to Traditionalists when they are expected to, but will be somewhat more lax if there are no meetings to attend. Finally, Generation Xers and Millennials tend to push the envelope whenever possible because in their mind, what they wear to work should not take precedence over how well they complete their daily tasks. “Between the 1950s and the late 1970s, college students’ need for social approval decreased sharply. Since 1980, the trait has stabilized at this historically low level” (Twenge and Campbell, 2008, p.868).
Spending your entire career at one company used to be common place during the time when Traditionalists and some Boomers began working. However, Generation Xers and Millennials are more concerned with being happy than longevity with a company. Many of today’s younger generation, such as myself, will have three to five jobs after college before they turn 30. Most of the people I have worked with since college graduation have held at least four short term positions while trying to determine exactly where they will be satisfied the most. In today’s workforce, many employees “job hop” until they find exactly what they want to do. Twenge and Campbell (2008) explain a study where “many twentysomethings interviewed in the book Quarterlife Crisis agreed, like one young woman, that if ‘she was not both proud of and fulfilled by her job, then it was not a job worth having’” (p.866). This belief is far different from the older generations who were happy simply having a job and being able to provide for their family. Traditionalists have a “pay your dues attitude which makes them inclined to believe you climb the corporate ladder based on your tenure with the organization” (Lieber, 2010, p.88).
Due to the fact that Generation Xers and Millennials grew up using computers and modern technology, these generations are able to complete tasks much faster than Traditionalists or Boomers who now have to learn to use such technology well into their life and career. A task a Millennial is given that requires using the computer, if the employee knows how to complete it, will most likely be completed much faster than if a Traditionalist were doing it. One of my co-workers is much older than I am and somewhat frequently I get frustrated when we have to work together because we work in Excel on a daily basis and a task that I feel should not take longer than five minutes takes him between one to two hours to complete. However, as Beekman (2011) explains, “Traditionalists may not appreciate the fast-paced approach of their Millennial coworkers” (p.16).
In conclusion, it is obvious there are many differences among the four generations in today’s workforce due to technology, ideas of what is more important, how each views work, and many others however, unless an age limit is set on a certain type of work, there will always be a generation gap in every workplace. Technological advancements from 10 years ago are quickly becoming outdated as better, faster, more equipped systems are becoming readily available in offices across the nation. Similarly, 10 years from today, a newer generation will be taking over the workplace and completing tasks even faster than today’s Millenials; the same way companies such as Google and Kellogg’s have very relax work environments, many more companies may take the same approach in the future if they see there is a mutually beneficial outcome in doing so. As previously stated, there will always be a generation gap as well as different opinions on how the workplace should be run however, the key is to find a way for each generation to feel equally satisfied with their employment and how they can work together in the most effective way.

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