Silent Generation / Traditionalists (born before 1946) Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events • Grew up during the • 55 million • Behaviors are based on • Loyal to employers • Great Depression Great Depression experiences from the and expect the same and WWII • Majority are retirees Depression in return • WWII • Either fought in • Largest voting • Want to feel needed • Possess superb • The Cold War WWII or were population interpersonal skills children • Strive for financial security • McCarthyism • Enjoy flexible • Behaviors are based • “Waste not want not” arrangements so • Started the Civil on experiences attitude they can work on Rights Movement during the • Conformity their own schedule Depression and • Conservatism • Children were WWII • Traditional family values • Believe promotions, “seen, but not raises, and heard” • Wealthiest • Strive for comfort recognition should generation • Demand quality come from job • Simplicity tenure • Men typically worked while • Understands the nobility of • Measure work ethic women stayed home sacrifice for the common on timeliness, to raise children good productivity, and not drawing attention • Has largest lobbyist • Patriotic group, AARP • Patience • Team players Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html; http://merrillassociates.com/ Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events • Grew up during the • 76 million • Run local, state, and • Work ethic is • Assassinations of Civil Rights national governments measured in hours JFK, Robert Movement and the • Makes up 28% of worked Kennedy, and Cold War Americans • Largest workforce Martin Luther King, • Less importance Jr. • Born during a spike in • Believe rules should be placed on child births after obeyed unless they are productivity • Cold War WWII contrary to what they want; then they’re to be broken • Teamwork is critical • Walk on the Moon • Created the term to success “workaholic” • Experimental • Vietnam War • Individualism • Relationship building • The largest is important • Protests and Sit-Ins generation • Social cause oriented • Expect loyalty from • Civil Rights, • Single largest • Free spirited those they work Women’s, and economic group with Environmental • Can be less optimistic, Movements • Sometimes referred cynical, and distrust to today as “Empty government • Watergate Nesters” • Want products and services • Nixon Resignation that show their success • Self-discovery Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html;http://merrillassociates.com/; http://www.escapehomes.com/articles/Baby_Boomers_Statistics_on_Empty_Nests_and_Retirement.htm Generation X / Busters (1965-1980) Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events • Defined as “slackers” • 50 million • Quest for emotional security • Casual, friendly work • AIDS environment • They have the “carpe • Single parent • Independent • End of Cold War diem” attitude families • Very self-reliant • Involvement • Vietnam • First generation to • Informality • Flexibility and develop ease and freedom • Watergate comfort with • Entrepreneurial technology • A place to learn • Nixon resignation • Expect immediate and • “X” described the lack ongoing feedback and is • Work smarter, not • Computers of identity that comfortable giving feedback harder members of to others • Grunge/Hip-Hop Generation X felt, not • Want open sure where they • Reject rules communication • Vietnam belonged • Mistrust institutions regardless of • Believe friends do not equal position, title, or • MTV • Experienced more family tenure divorces than any • Challenger other generation • “Latchkey” kids • Value control of their explosion time • Had to learn to fend • Multi-taskers • Fall of Berlin Wall for themselves • Suspicious of Boomer values • Look for a person to whom they can • Reaganomics • Value family time invest loyalty, not a company Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html; http://merrillassociates.com/; http://apps.americanbar.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt08044.html Generation Y / Millennials (born 1981-1994) Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events • Grew up with • 80 million • Ambitious yet clueless • Searches for the • Oklahoma City technology- • Optimistic individual who will bombing computers, cell • More ethnically • Patriotic help them achieve phones, internet, and racially diverse • Impatient their goals • Rise of the etc. than older • Entrepreneurial Internet generations • Want open, • Also known as the • Individualistic yet group- constant • O.J. Simpson trial “Entitlement” oriented communication and generation • Want to be like peers but positive • Death of Princess with a unique twist reinforcement from Diana • Boomer and late X’er their boss • CDs/DVDs parents raised them • Very informal to be sheltered and • Busy • Search for job that • Columbine to constantly build • Short attention span provides great, shootings Millennials’ self- personal fulfillment esteem • Acknowledge and admire • Want to be close to • Y2K some authorities their peers • Plagued with high • More culturally and racially • Want leadership • Terrorism levels of student tolerant from bosses and debt • Acceptant of change supervisors • Swine flu- 1988 • Un-trusting of “the man” • Look for • Second largest opportunities to generation to be • Achievement-oriented learn entering the • Financially savvy workforce under the • Want instant gratification • Work to live, rather Boomers • “Everybody wins!” than living to work Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html; http://merrillassociates.com/; http://apps.americanbar.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt08044.html; http://www.rosettathurman.com/2010/; http://pewsocialtrends.org/ Generation Z / Digital Natives (born after 1994) Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events • Also known as • 23 million and • Highly connected to the use • Very collaborative • 9/11 attacks - 2011 Generation M, Net growing of communications and creative Generation, Internet • Great Recession Generation • Like Instant Gratification • Will have to solve - 2008 to present the worst • Grown up with • Thrive on acceleration and environmental, • Terrorism - these world, wide, web. next, next, next social and economic individuals do not (Became available problems in history remember a time after 1991) • Independent people, lacking without war a community- oriented • Will not be team • Born during minor nature due to social media players • Swine Flu outbreak fertility boom around - 2009 US Global Financial • Are very open book with • Will be more self- Crisis little concern to privacy and directed • Hurricane Katrina personal information. Except - 2005 • The children of for when it comes to money • Will process Generation X information at • iPod - 2001 • Thrive on small bits of lightning speed information. Think in terms • Facebook – 2004 of status’s and Twitter • Will be smarter language • Under a lot of pressure to succeed Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html; http://merrillassociates.com/; http://apps.americanbar.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt08044.html; http://www.rosettathurman.com/2010/; http://pewsocialtrends.org/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z .