Generation Game for Employers

Employers these days are having to play the Generation Game. The workforce is changing and attitudes to work are changing with it. Each generation brings it's own unique set of management requirements, wants and attitudes. All this is leading us down the path of "work" as we currently know it changing forever. By work I am mainly referring to "Corporate" environments where you go to a high rise office building each day to do your job.

So just what is the Generation Game that employers are having to play. We can divide workers into 3 distinct groups, with each group having it's own nuances.

Group 1: Baby Boomers - This is those in the 45+ bracket.
The baby boomers create the modern workplace. They respect authority,status and know the rules. They are resistant to change.

Group 2: Generation X – Aged 30 to 45
Generation X are brash, cynical and motivated by self interest. They judge things by money and have little respect for authority. Baby Boomers and Generation Y generally dislike Generation X.

Group 3: Generation Y – Aged under 30
The Generation Y group are motivated by fun, work satisfaction, social responsibility, corporate integrity and honesty, work opportunities and not money.

Given that Generation Y are making up more and more of our workforce they will eventually be the ones making the rules. What this means for the workplace is complete change. The prediction is that within a few years the tradition of going into the office each day to do ones work will be all but gone. You will work from home or wherever and performance is based on getting the job done.

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