Talkin

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Talkin About Our Generation
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U.S. Labor Market 2011

• 10 million
• more jobs than available workers to fill them
• 2 experienced workers are leaving for every
• 1 inexperienced worker entering
• RainmakerThinking Inc.

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Minnesota State Retirement System2008 Workforce
Report

• Average age of retirement is 60.
• 9 of the current workforce is at or above the
  average age of retirement.
• 24.4 of the current workforce will reach the age
  of retirement by 2013.
• 42.5 of the current workforce will reach the age
  of retirement by the year 2018.

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Executive Branch Age Distribution (5 years)
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In the quest for talent

• NOTHING
• youve done in the past will
• suffice for the future.
• Gartner Group, Inc.

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• Why is this information important?
• Labor shortage realities
• Free agency concept all generations
• Philosophy of incoming generations
• Expectation that they will be courted
• Employability vs. a job
• Decreased employer loyalty

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Economics 101 Supply and Demand

SUPPLY Fewer workers
DEMAND High demand for workers
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New Assumptions About the Incoming Workforce

• Psychological contract between employer and
  employee is changing.
• No two people will approach work the same way.
• Employability vs. a job.
• The quality of peers will matter.
• Talented people will move around.
• Employers will need to develop partnerships with
  educational institutions for candidate pipelines.
• Develop more entry-level positions.
• Employment and human resource models WILL change.
• Gartner Group Inc.

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Human Resource Models

• Old Industrial and Boomer Models
• New Just in Time Workforce, Hollywood Models
• Unions/Workforce Planning (MAD)
• The market will demand a more
• FLUID
• workplace, which is more
• RISKY
• for the employer.

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The Generations

• Traditionalists/Matures/Veterans 1922 - 1946
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• Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964 41
• Generation X 1964 - 1978 30
• Generation Y/Millenials/Nexters 1978 - 1990 22
• RainmakerThinking Inc.

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Traditionalists/Boomers Outnumbered

• 2005 U. S. Workforce
• Gen X/Y tipped the scale at 51.5
• with the Traditionalists/Boomers at 48.5
• Gen X - constant at 30
• Gen Y - fastest growing
• Managing the Generation Mix, Martin, Tulgan

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Office of Enterprise Technology

• Traditionalists 24 employees 7.1
• Boomers 244 employees 72.4
• Gen Xers 63 employees 18.7
• Gen Yers 6 employees 1.8

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Generational Cohort Defined

• People who were born and live in the same
• general time span who share the
• sociological, political and economic
• conditions of that time and
• key life experiences and defining moments
• that combine to shape
• attitudes, preferences and values
• unique to that cohort.

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The Generations

• and how they differ at work

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Traditionalists 1922-1946
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Traditionalist Work Profile

• Work ethic/family values
• Like structure and a clearly defined hierarchy
• Like consistency and uniformity
• Respect for authority
• Seniority and age correlate
• Conformers
• This hardy group of workers will virtually
  disappear from the workplace by 2011.

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Traditionalist Benefits/Challenges

• Benefits
• Respect authority
• Hard workers
• Work ethic

• Challenges
• May take a little longer to learn technology
• Work best within hierarchical environments
• Learned to do without

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Baby Boomers 1946 1964
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Boomer Work Profile

• Defined by work/work needs to have meaning
• Workaholics who value seat time
• Competitive, driven
• Service oriented
• Good at relationships
• democratic, humane, consensus, collegial
• Enjoy standing out and getting ahead/Wall of Fame
  
• Economic achievers

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Boomer Benefits/Challenges

• Benefits
• Experienced
• Influential
• Love work
• Love teams
• Love meetings
• Competitive, driven

• Challenges
• Often put process ahead of results
• Love work
• Love teams
• Love meetings
• In person communication
• History of influence

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Generation X 1964 1978
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Gen X Work Profile

• Prince Charles syndrome
• Training and development opportunities
• Independent, self reliant
• Learned to challenge authority
• Global thinkers
• Technoliterate
• Seek work/life balance
• Casual dress jobs
• Teamwork

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Xer Benefits/Challenges

• Benefits
• Results oriented
• Self-reliant
• Prefer quick learning and action vs. what you
  know
• Work independently

• Challenges
• Sidestep rules and procedures
• Free agents
• Reject the way we do things around here
• Apprentice to master model and pay

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Generation Y 1978 1990
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Gen Y Work Profile

• Optimistic about personal success
• Teamwork must have value to each individual
  involved
• Goals matter
• Like timely feedback
• Expect supervisors to provide direction and coach
  them
• Prefer individual, customized work environments
• Casual dress days are serious
• Training development opportunities
• Recognition
• Impactful work
• Work/life balance
• Want to work for companies that are socially
  responsible

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Yer Benefits/Challenges

• Benefits
• Technologically savvy
• Ability to multitask
• Goal-driven
• Adaptable
• Efficient
• Committed to work they believe in
• Educated

• Challenges
• Want timely feedback
• Ask a lot of questions
• Want individual work environments
• Prefer electronic communication
• Disengaged
• Impatient
• Opinionated

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Traits of an Effective GenMix Organization

• Be generations friendly.
• Treat employees as you do your customers.
• Prepare to be more involved with them.
• Know their career goals.
• Manage them to meet their specific needs with the
  understanding that you still have to manage their
  performance.
• Make time to try new recruiting, hiring,
  interviewing, onboarding methods and management
  techniques based on generational differences.

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Resources

• Generations at Work Zemke, Raines, Filipczak
• Managing the Generation Mix Martin, Tulgan
• Research 2007 RainmakerThinking Inc., contact
  sandra.marks_at_state.mn.us
• Job Shift Bridges
• First Break All the Rules Buckingham, Coffman

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