What Makes Workers Happy? A Look at Multigenerational Offices

Your best employees are key to keeping your organization productive and moving in the right direction. As such, you simply can’t afford to lose them. But how do you keep these talented superstars satisfied and excited about their jobs? And when you’ve got multigenerational workers, how should your efforts vary?

By understanding the values and behaviors of workers of various ages, managers can adapt to meet their employees’ needs.

And as a general guideline: Assume the best of people and allow them to prove themselves. Tell people why they were hired, the great things they have to offer, and let them fulfill those expectations.

Generational Differences in Today’s Workers

Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1955)

Boomers are heading into retirement age. Many may be forced to work longer if their pensions and retirement savings have been compromised.

• Star Status – At this stage in their careers, Boomers want to know they can excel in your organization. Show them how they can be stars. Remember, Boomers tend to define themselves by their jobs, and they want to be seen as unique.
• Impact – Boomers need to see where their expertise will be used to make a difference in the organization. Shifts in careers happen now to influence their legacy.
• Compensation – Beyond salary and benefits, Boomers will be interested by what else the job offers. Will they have an office in a nice location? Can they keep their frequent-flier miles? Does the company hold memberships to airport club rooms?

Generation Jones (Born 1956-1965)

While this generational description is less well-known, Author Jonathan Pontell is credited with coining the name “Generation Jones” and it refers to the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” citing a natural competitiveness in this latter half of the baby boomer generation. They don't remember a time before television, in much the same way that the latter half of the millennial generation doesn't remember a time before mobile phones.

• Consistency – As most of this generation are likely in the last job they'll have before retirement, they want their job to be steady and reliable, with no concern they'll be pushed out until they're ready.
• Meaning – Many Joneses are tired of working to earn and now look for the “meaning” of what they do with their careers and how it can have a positive impact on the world.
• Stability – Joneses have lived through several job upheavals in the last 20 years. They are now looking for a company’s solvency and stability before they sign on. Older employees have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to offer. Embrace their strengths, loyalty and work ethics and your organization will be better off.

Gen Xers (Born 1962-1980)

The forerunners of the mobile generations to come later, Gen Xers were the first to move from job to job and not dig in to work for one or two companies for most of their entire careers. Since Boomers were their parents, naturally Xers tended to get as far away from the Boomer mentality as possible.

• Mobility – Gen Xers want opportunities to experience many different jobs. They like diversity and global perspectives. Lateral moves can be just as exciting as vertical ones.  This attitude exists even within a job with a single company as cross-training is important with them.
• Uniqueness – Gen Xers want to know that your organization is one of a kind. Make sure your organization plays up to its strength and respects ideas from all levels and ages. Play down any remains of the status quo, bureaucracy or hierarchy structures.
• Casual Atmosphere – They want to do their work in a setting that can be fun at the same time. Play up any casual days or events you might hold.

Millennials (Born 1980-1995)

Millennials are much different than any other generation before them. They grew up at the dawn of the technological revolution and only the oldest part of the generation have memories of when the Internet did not exist as we know it today.

• Flexibility – Stretch your concepts of scheduling, and focus on getting the work done. Millennials need to know they can arrange their work around a possible unorthodox workweek. Chances are they’ll be out the door at 5:00 on the dot, but they have a hard time totally disconnecting from working.
• Mentoring – Offer Millennials older mentors (not a Gen Xer!) who have proven track records of success. Millennials are not impressed by job titles, so don’t use that as your determining factor in picking mentors. They want and demand ongoing training and acquisition of transferable skills. They’ll test authority often, but not as much as Joneses and Xers.
• Meaning – Millennials share with the Joneses the search for meaning in what they do at work. Demonstrate how their work will have an impact on how the organization benefits the community. Millennials also tend to be optimistic and are highly enthusiastic, which is great to energize the rest of the staff.

iGen/GenZ  (Born 1995-2012) 

Generation Z has many euphemisms, and a popular one is “iGen.”Even more than Millennials, this group is so immersed in technology and social media that the two often can’t be separated. They have just begun to enter the workforce, with many in the older half of this generation already having a strong foothold in their first post-education job.

• Practicality – With their upbringing during the Great Recession, many in this generation have a down-to-earth attitude. They tend to be cautious, risk-averse and attentive to outcomes.
• Stability – These workers haven’t had much time to chart a career path yet. Asking them “where do you see yourself in five years” is no longer a strong barometer for employee motivation. They just got here, so they’re not sure how to answer that yet.
• Collaborative – They often don’t believe in “individualism” in the workplace. They’re willing to work together and be honest. Offer praise and explain feedback as a means to high performance.

Generational differences are, of course, generalized observations. They won't apply to every person of a certain age. Adapting as needed to each individual will help you keep your best and brightest workers!