The Five-Generation Workforce and Diversity Programs

Traditionalists, also known as Veterans or Matures, were born before 1945 and they are the oldest in the workforce. Many Traditionalists continue to work for their own personal satisfaction, although of course, some continue to work for financial reasons. Characteristics of this generation include respect for authority, loyalty, and a strong work ethic. They are less tech-savvy, as a whole, than those in the other four generations. The prominent technology of their younger years was radio.

They account for approximately 5% of the current workforce.

2. Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers were born between 1945 and 1960. They are described as work-centric and competitive. They are excellent team players. Baby Boomers currently make up the majority of the workplace leadership. They account for approximately 45% of today's workforce, and are, therefore, the largest single generational group. The differences between Traditionalists and Baby Boomers are milder than any other two generations. The prominent technology of their younger years was television.

3. Generation X

Generation Xers were born between 1960 and 1980. This generation was turned off by the work experience of their parents, whose loyalty to their employers had not resulted in the promised lifetime employment. They are interested in a flexible workplace and have more of an entrepreneurial spirit than previous generations. They consider themselves to be self-reliant. Generation Xers make up 34%of the U.S. workforce. This generation was the first to grow up with personal computers.

4. Generation Y/Millennials

Millennials were born between 1980 and the mid-90s. They are named Millennials because they came of age at the start of this century. This generation is tech-savvy, achievement-oriented, and creative. They are still fairly new to the workforce and expect quick advancement. They are characterized by impatience. Millennials also plan to hold the same job only for a handful of years before changing employment. This generation feels very comfortable with the Internet.

Millennials comprise 14% of the workforce.

5. Generation 9/11

Generation 9/11 is defined as those born in the late 90s. The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were the seminal event of their young lives. They are just about to enter the workforce in larger numbers, although they have volunteered significantly and are, therefore, familiar with some work dynamics. They are obviously still maturing into the roles they will ultimately play at work. This generation is known for their ease with social media.

They consist of 2% of the workforce.

Guidelines for Intergenerational Diversity Programs

To a degree, these are generalizations. Clearly, there are Baby Boomers who are much more tech savvy than some Generation Xers. These labels are simply general guidelines that will be beneficial in learning how to address intergenerational dynamics.

Now that the generations are better defined, the challenge is how to make those generations work together in the workforce. Diversity programs were set up in the workplace to address those very issues, although traditionally they addressed differences in race, nationality, gender, etc. Today's workforce diversity program must include a component for intergenerational differences, since there are such distinct differences between the 63-year-old CEO and the 23-year-old Team Leader.

And, there are obvious areas of discord between the generations. A Baby Boomer who sacrificed time away from his own children in order to demonstrate commitment to the workplace may find it unnerving and unfair that co-workers ask for the afternoon off to see their childrens' school plays. What the Baby Boomer may not understand is that changes in technology have it made it much easier for the Generation Xer to make that request, understanding that the work will still get done, something that was not an option for the Baby Boomer. If a diversity program can address those issues, the Baby Boomer is much less likely to view the request for time off as sign of a lack of a commitment to the workplace.

Likewise, a Millennial may be frustrated that she has not been made a Project Manager when she has taken the lead in developing said project. She may also be upset by the slow pace in which important decisions are made. The Millennial may not yet understand the value of a more thoughtful and long-term approach.

The point of an intergenerational diversity program is to help workers of every generation view the world from the others' perspective. One way to do that is to develop a program where workers from different generations share each other's skills and learn from each other's strengths. For example, those workers from Generation 9/11 may be best able to train a Baby Boomer on Twitter, a microblogging site. The Baby Boomer may be able to reciprocate by sharing the wealth of information and skills he has acquired. While they both benefit, the real advantage is a better understanding of the roles they each play and the value they bring to the organization.'

Conclusion

Ultimately, regardless of age, everyone wants to be fulfilled by their work and valued by their co-workers and supervisors. They want to feel appreciated for what they bring to the table. However, the only real way to accomplish that is to develop each generation's understanding of how each of their skill sets contributes to the organization's success. This, in turn, will yield a heightened appreciation of each other's contribution.

The easiest path to achieve this goal is through a generational diversity program that identifies, accommodates, and celebrates the various different perspectives of each segment of the work force.'

Lizel Gonzalez, Esq., works at Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. For the past four years, Ms. Gonzalez has been Director of Operations and Human Resources.

For the first time in U.S. history, the workplace is populated by workers from five generations who differ, in some cases widely, in their beliefs regarding work responsibility, work/life balance, and their relationship to their employer and co-workers. In order to better ensure a harmonious relationship between workers of significantly different ages and, therefore, life experiences, an organization must consider establishing a targeted diversity program. The goal of such a program is to teach those diverse workers to learn to respect and appreciate their differences, find common ground, and, ultimately, recognize how their skills complement each other.

The first step in this process is clarifying the make-up of these different generations. Loosely defined, they are:

1. Traditionalists/Veterans/Matures

Traditionalists, also known as Veterans or Matures, were born before 1945 and they are the oldest in the workforce. Many Traditionalists continue to work for their own personal satisfaction, although of course, some continue to work for financial reasons. Characteristics of this generation include respect for authority, loyalty, and a strong work ethic. They are less tech-savvy, as a whole, than those in the other four generations. The prominent technology of their younger years was radio.

They account for approximately 5% of the current workforce.

2. Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers were born between 1945 and 1960. They are described as work-centric and competitive. They are excellent team players. Baby Boomers currently make up the majority of the workplace leadership. They account for approximately 45% of today's workforce, and are, therefore, the largest single generational group. The differences between Traditionalists and Baby Boomers are milder than any other two generations. The prominent technology of their younger years was television.

3. Generation X

Generation Xers were born between 1960 and 1980. This generation was turned off by the work experience of their parents, whose loyalty to their employers had not resulted in the promised lifetime employment. They are interested in a flexible workplace and have more of an entrepreneurial spirit than previous generations. They consider themselves to be self-reliant. Generation Xers make up 34%of the U.S. workforce. This generation was the first to grow up with personal computers.

4. Generation Y/Millennials

Millennials were born between 1980 and the mid-90s. They are named Millennials because they came of age at the start of this century. This generation is tech-savvy, achievement-oriented, and creative. They are still fairly new to the workforce and expect quick advancement. They are characterized by impatience. Millennials also plan to hold the same job only for a handful of years before changing employment. This generation feels very comfortable with the Internet.

Millennials comprise 14% of the workforce.

5. Generation 9/11

Generation 9/11 is defined as those born in the late 90s. The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were the seminal event of their young lives. They are just about to enter the workforce in larger numbers, although they have volunteered significantly and are, therefore, familiar with some work dynamics. They are obviously still maturing into the roles they will ultimately play at work. This generation is known for their ease with social media.

They consist of 2% of the workforce.

Guidelines for Intergenerational Diversity Programs

To a degree, these are generalizations. Clearly, there are Baby Boomers who are much more tech savvy than some Generation Xers. These labels are simply general guidelines that will be beneficial in learning how to address intergenerational dynamics.

Now that the generations are better defined, the challenge is how to make those generations work together in the workforce. Diversity programs were set up in the workplace to address those very issues, although traditionally they addressed differences in race, nationality, gender, etc. Today's workforce diversity program must include a component for intergenerational differences, since there are such distinct differences between the 63-year-old CEO and the 23-year-old Team Leader.

And, there are obvious areas of discord between the generations. A Baby Boomer who sacrificed time away from his own children in order to demonstrate commitment to the workplace may find it unnerving and unfair that co-workers ask for the afternoon off to see their childrens' school plays. What the Baby Boomer may not understand is that changes in technology have it made it much easier for the Generation Xer to make that request, understanding that the work will still get done, something that was not an option for the Baby Boomer. If a diversity program can address those issues, the Baby Boomer is much less likely to view the request for time off as sign of a lack of a commitment to the workplace.

Likewise, a Millennial may be frustrated that she has not been made a Project Manager when she has taken the lead in developing said project. She may also be upset by the slow pace in which important decisions are made. The Millennial may not yet understand the value of a more thoughtful and long-term approach.

The point of an intergenerational diversity program is to help workers of every generation view the world from the others' perspective. One way to do that is to develop a program where workers from different generations share each other's skills and learn from each other's strengths. For example, those workers from Generation 9/11 may be best able to train a Baby Boomer on Twitter, a microblogging site. The Baby Boomer may be able to reciprocate by sharing the wealth of information and skills he has acquired. While they both benefit, the real advantage is a better understanding of the roles they each play and the value they bring to the organization.'

Conclusion

Ultimately, regardless of age, everyone wants to be fulfilled by their work and valued by their co-workers and supervisors. They want to feel appreciated for what they bring to the table. However, the only real way to accomplish that is to develop each generation's understanding of how each of their skill sets contributes to the organization's success. This, in turn, will yield a heightened appreciation of each other's contribution.

The easiest path to achieve this goal is through a generational diversity program that identifies, accommodates, and celebrates the various different perspectives of each segment of the work force.'

Lizel Gonzalez, Esq., works at Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. For the past four years, Ms. Gonzalez has been Director of Operations and Human Resources.