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Home , Baby boomers

9/19/2016

Growing Diversity: Getting to the Root of Today’s Generational Workforce Speakers: Anthea Aasen, Michael Hale, Thanh Jeffers Moderator: Kandace Thomas

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1900-1945

POINTS OF DISCUSSION

• IMPORTANT EVENTS/INFLUENCES OF PERIOD • FAMILY VALUES • EDUCATION • TYPES OF JOBS/EMPLOYMENT • MAKEUP OF WORKFORCE • CAREER ADVANCEMENT/ETHICS • TECHNOLOGY IN WORKPLACE & HOME • GENERAL TRENDS

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I TRADITIONALIST ( THE GREATEST OR SILENT ) 1900 – 1945

R. MICHAEL HALE

IMPORTANT EVENTS/INFLUENCES • THE GREAT DEPRESSION . ( 11,000 OF 25,000 US BANKS FAIL; UNEMPLOYMENT 25-30%) • WORLD WAR I; WORLD WAR II; • PROHIBITION • THE (WPA; NYA) • AUTOMOBILES; RADIOS; SILENT & TALKIE MOVIES; JAZZ MUSIC; PHONOGRAPHS • PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON; PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN • BING CROSBY; LOUIS ARMSTRONG; ELIZABETH TAYLOR; JUDY GARLAND

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FAMILY VALUES • GETTING MARRIED IMPORTANT • LARGER FAMILIES • FAMILY MEAL TIMES • PARENTS LIVE WITH ADULT CHILDREN • WOMEN STAYING AT HOME COMMON o (26 STATES PROHIBITED EMPLOYMENT)

• CHILDREN HELP AROUND HOME & FARMS • FAMILY STAY TOGETHER(81% TO 86%)

EDUCATION

• CHILDREN QUITTING SCHOOL BY 8TH GRADE COMMON • 16% MEN / 18% WOMEN FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL • 4% MEN / 3% WOMEN GO TO COLLEGE • IT’S A DREAM TO MOST FAMILIES • SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS RARE/UNCOMMON • MOST FAMILIES CAN’T AFFORD COLLEGE • WORKING TO MAKE MONEY MORE IMPORTANT • HAVING HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION CONSIDERED ELITE • AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY MOST COMMON DEGREE

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TYPES OF JOBS / EMPLOYMENT

• FARMING & AGRICULTURE (40%) • AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES (19%) • INDUSTRIAL & MANUFACTURING (14%) • CLERICAL / SALES (9%) • PROFESSIONAL / WHITE-COLLAR(14%) • MINING • CONSTRUCTION (WPA; PWA;) • PHYSICAL • FACTORIES / FIELDS / SHIPPING (WPA)

MAKEUP OF WORKFORCE

• MEN 13.3 – 16.3 MILLION ( 84.2% - 78.4%)

• WOMEN 2.5 – 4.5 MILLION( 15.8% - 21.6%)

• TOTAL WORKFORCE : 15.8 – 20.8 MILLION

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CAREER ADVANCEMENT / ETHICS

• ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED • UPWARD MOBILITY DEPENDENT UPON SENIORITY/AGE • HARD WORKING AND DEDICATED • LONG CAREER WORKING: 30+ YEARS COMMON (SOCIAL SECURITY BEGINS 1937) • PENSION PLANS // PERSONAL SAVINGS (OFTEN @ HOME) • RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY • APPRENTICESHIPS KEY TO LEARNING JOB SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE • DEPENDABLE – SHOWED UP FOR WORK ON TIME & EVERYDAY

TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE AND AT HOME

• ROTARY DIAL TELEPHONES; PAY PHONES • TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARDS & OPERATORS • PARTY LINE TELEPHONE SERVICE • TYPEWRITERS • CARBON PAPER FOR MAKING COPIES • AUTOMOBILES WITH NO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS • VACUUM TUBE RADIOS • LARGE MAINFRAME IBM COMPUTERS • 8MM/16MM CAMERAS & PROJECTORS • 16RPM &78RPM VINYL RECORDS • MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES LEAD TO HIGHER PRODUCTION RATES

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GENERAL TRENDS

• RETURNING HOME/ADJUSTING AFTER WORLD WARS • WOMEN RETURNING HOME FROM FACTORY WORK • STRIVING TO HAVE SAFE/HEALTHY WORK PLACES • BECOMING UNIONIZED WORKERS • WORKING FOR NORMAL WORKING HOURS (40/WK) • GETTING PAID BENEFITS FROM EMPLOYERS • BUYING A HOME • GETTING CHILDREN AN EDUCATION • BUYING NEW HOME APPLIANCES

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The “Me” Generation “Baby Boomers are essentially time travelers from a very different world.” Alex Collazo, Millennial Blogger.

• 75.4 million Baby Boomers (as of 2015) • They are the largest generation of Americans born in U.S. history. • Famous Boomers: , Meryl Streep…

IMPORTANT EVENTS/KEY INFLUENCES • The & Bomb Shelters • Television • Space Travel/First Moon Landing • The • Assassination of JFK • The Civil Rights Movement • • Women’s Liberation • Watergate • Environmental Concerns • President John F. Kennedy; President Lyndon B. Johnson; Martin Luther King; Muhammad Ali; Pope John Paul

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FAMILY VALUE

• Disintegrating • “Cleaver Family” • Mom stayed home • As children, were seen as “special”

EDUCATION • Did not complete high school - 12.5 percent • High school graduate - 30 percent • Attended some college - 29 percent • College graduate - 29 percent • More Minorities Attend Schools Of Higher Education

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TYPES OF JOBS/EMPLOYMENT • Currently Working - 74 Percent • Does Not Work At All - 22.5 Percent • The Average Baby Boomer Will Hold 11 Different Jobs During His Or Her Lifetime. • Staying In Their Jobs Longer Than Their Older Counterparts Did. • Professional/Office (23%) • Farmer s(13%) • Automotive Industry ( 25%) • Industrial & Manufacturing ( 25%) • Technological

MAKEUP OF WORKFORCE

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CAREER ADVANCEMENT/ETHICS • Work Ethic Is Different Than The Following Group: Strong Work Ethic, • Work Longer Hours (60hrs) And Weekends (Workaholics) • Like Hierarchical Businesses • Focus On Developing Their Careers Through Opportunities Within One Organization Or At Least One Industry. • Advancement Based On Seniority, Not Always Based On Skill And Expertise • 401K Plans & Pensions

TECHNOLOGY IN WORKPLACE & HOME • The biggest difference in the way boomers use technology vs. the younger is that they tend to see it as a way to get something done, whether that's something at work or staying in touch with friends and family. • Gen X and especially Gen Y just see technology as a part of life. • Personal Computers • Electronic Devices

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GENERAL TRENDS

• More Flexibility In The Workplace • Executive Wants To Retain Employees As Long As Possible Because Of The Knowledge They Possess. This Appears To Be A Positive Change For The Future Of Businesses And For Baby Boomers In The Workplace.

GENERAL TRENDS

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The “Xers” • Also known as The Doer, Post Boomers, 13th Generation • Independent • Resourceful • Entrepreneurial • Adaptive to change • Skeptical • Work/life balance • Self-reliance • Famous Xers: Barak Obama, Jennifer Lopez, …

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The “Xers”

• 49 million Gen Xers in the U.S. • 17% of the U.S. population. • 19% of Gen Xers are foreign-born.

Key Influences • • Energy Crisis • Lay-offs • Dual Income families • AIDS and single parents • • Y2K • MTV & Cable TV • Activism • The Challenger • End of Cold War • Missing children on • Mom’s work milk cartons • Increase divorce rate. • 24 hour media

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Family Values • Latch-key kids • The first “day care” generation • More likely to fit work around family time • Women widely expected to work outside the home • Dual Income families • Moms have a high level of education, marry later, and have children later. • Dads work to be involved in the daily lives of their children.

Education

• Generation X has higher high school graduation rates and is better educated than previous generations. • Women in Generation X are the most highly educated; 32.4% have a college degree

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Education

• Asians have the highest educational attainment. • Hispanics have the lowest educational attainment.

Workforce

Two-thirds of Generation X couples are both in the labor force.

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Career Advancement

• Pro-active approach to career development through more degrees and experiences. • Training enhances their versatility in the marketplace and investment in their future. Not necessarily loyal to the company who trained them. • Balance is important. Will sacrifice balance, but only occasionally. Work to live, not live to work.

Ethics • Balance • Work smarter and with greater output, not work longer hours. • Self-reliant • Want structure & direction • Skeptical

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Technology

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What is a Millennial

Important Events/Influences

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Family Values

Education

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Workforce

Employment

How was your work life balance lived up to any expectations you had before starting your job?

Did not have any 4% 7% prior expectations Much worse than 10% I expected 39% Much better than expected Somewhat better than expected 20% Somewhat worse than I expected As I Expected 21%

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Millennial Tech • The Internet • CDs • Email • Cell Phones • iPads • Cloud Software • Virtual Offices • 3D Movies • Virtual Reality

Managing the Generations

It’s a bottom-line issue!

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Myths

• Older generations cannot accept/will not accept new technology • Younger generations are not willing to work hard • Painted, false nails, tattoo's, and body piercings are indicative of a non-professional attitude • Older generations have very little patience, and see little value in younger generations • No one wants to work long, hard hours any more!

5 Questions

• Do you expect constant feedback and gratification? • What kind of reward do you prefer? A day off, a financial reward of a personal note? • What do you look for in a company? • Is your generation stereotyped? • How long should you stay in a position before switching to a new role?

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How to Retain Boomers

• Provide excellent mentoring opportunities • Recognize individual and collective contributions • Identify and voice their value as unique individuals • Create harmony in the workplace • Name recognition • Reward hours, effort and provides perks • Point out their value to the organization in specific ways • Recognize their struggle to achieve some balance in their lives • They will need mentors on new technology • Listen closely to their concerns about work environment • Help them tell their ‘good war stories’

How to Retain Gen Xers • Provide excellent training for new roles and skills • Encourage their independent spirit and work • Provide direct feedback • Do NOT micro-manage • Recognize balance as a critical factor in their lives • Give them state of the art technology • Encourage their interest in technology to assist others • Stress self-development • Help them see the opportunities with you! • Encourage their interest in technology to assist others

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How to Retain • Demonstrate ways to achieve and grow • Support teamwork and collaboration • Listen to them…..a lot! • Be competitive in pay and benefits • Avoid any semblance of ‘you have to pay your dues’ - corporate politics are a major turnoff • Encourage questioning status quo….engage them in meaningful improvement efforts • Value their total acceptance of diversity • Discuss the mission and how you are making it come alive in their work • Help them to connect with other generations • Enlist their optimism and altruism to balance others in the team • Use their expert technology skills/awareness to help others

Organization

• Have you determined the predominant age cohort in your work force • Does your benefit package acknowledge the different needs of the generations? • How do you communicate benefits or other policies to fit with each generation? • Is recruitment geared to specific generations? • Do your retention efforts focus on the different generations in your workforce?

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Managers

• Access the ‘generations’ within your current work team • Recognize their differences and their contributions • Remember not to look at members of your work teams as ‘all the same’ • Deliver messages using various methods of communication. No more ‘one size fits all’ • Set clear expectations, in terms of performance and behavior - have everyone on the team help to identify the behaviors that fit with your mission • Make sure to look at the world from a multigenerational perspective

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