Five Generations In The Workforce

Although some argue that it is already here, there is little debate that at some point in this decade we will, for the first time in our history, have five different generations in the workplace. These five different cohorts bring five different historical and technological perspectives, and five different world-views will have to coexist and collaborate in the workforce.

The topic was the focus of the General Session at The PPAI Expo last month and this week, Promotional Consultant Today talks about these generations as described by Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd in their book The 2020 Workplace, and details for each generation their work goals and the best ways to work with each of these generations.

We are starting today with the Traditionalists, those workers born before 1946. In 2020, this generation will be well into their 70s, but because of retirement delays caused by the recent economic downturn and improved health at later ages, they are expected to still be very active in the workforce.

If there are two words that best describe Traditionalists, they are “dependability” and “sacrifice,” according to Meister and Willyerd. The Great Depression and World War II taught this generation to put aside their individual needs and work together for a greater goal.

This is the generation that has seen the greatest level of technological change (there wasn’t even television when they were born) and is most resistant to advanced and technological change.

In collaborating with this generation, they expect the same level of dependability that they strive for in their own work and an appeal to the common good of the work.

If you don’t consider yourself to be a traditionalist, read PCT tomorrow as we continue our generation series, revealing the qualities of the Baby Boomer generation, those born between 1946 and 1964.

Source: Human resources experts Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd are the authors of The 2020 Workplace, a book that offers a practical game plan companies can use to attract and keep these employees and in doing so, transform their organizations, achieve compelling business results and compete more effectively in the global marketplace. Based on key findings from two surveys of global professionals, as well as case studies from organizations such as Deloitte, Cisco, Bell Canada, JetBlue, Nokia, and NASA, Meister and Willyerd bolster their thought-provoking research with 20 predictions for the 2020 workplace as well as real-world examples of these practices in action, including a YouTube new-hire orientation contest.