Boomers

The session addressed the issue of how companies can plan for and harness the power of their more experienced workers who may plan to retire in search of flexibility, but may still be willing to and interested in contributing to the organization’s brain trust. Job seekers may not realize that some companies are actually concerned about the fact that their more seasoned, knowledgeable workers may leave the organization high and dry when it is time to leave. With the projected number of people aged 65+ expected to grow exponentially, it’s an important topic to consider.

The presentation shared the following statistics:

– By 2010, 40% of the U.S. workforce will be over 40.

– Regarding the federal workforce (1.6 million civilians):

• 50% can retire in the next 5 years
• 70% are supervisors
• NASA: scientists and engineers over 60 outnumber those under 30, 3 to 1.

In 1991, 11% planned to continue working past age 65.

In 2010, 33% expect to continue working past 65.

When I was tweeting this session, I heard from several Twitter friends questioning if people really wanted to stay in the workforce, or if financial considerations were primary decision factors. In fact, the presentation suggested that 71% of these workers are happy with their job and do not want to leave. (Per CNNMoney.com). (Of course, this is just a statistic, and will vary from person to person, but there was a strong feeling in the room that people WANT to work because they enjoy it and want to continue to contribute.)

The presentation noted these companies as having best practices regarding keeping their experienced professionals engaged in programs such as mentoring, consulting, advising, etc: Pfizer, Georgia Power, IBM, WellStar. These are companies that value age and experience. This is important to note.

(An aside: for those interested in exploring “encore careers” – work that combines passion, purpose and income, check out http://www.encore.org/.)

Gen Y

At the end of the talk, Rosalia Thomas from IBM shared some interested points regarding her impressions of Gen Y employees. In her view, Ys want everything quickly, want to move up and quickly take on leadership roles. They don’t offer any loyalty. She believes they focus mainly on how they will benefit from the job and how they can move to the next job. In fact, she related a story of a young hire who explained that she was only in the job for as long as she was benefiting, and planned to move on as soon as it was feasible. While Ms. Thomas’ explained that Gen Y job seekers have seen their parents burned by loyalty, the explanation didn’t seem to temper her opinion of employees so blunt about their goals and plans.

Ms. Thomas seemed very concerned with the trends she is seeing with Gen Y employees. It is important to point out that, while being loyal to a company may not be realistic or even expected, it may not behoove entry-level workers to be quite so direct about their plans. There is a lot of focus on authenticity in the blogosphere, but, for Gen Yers who wish to gain traction in certain companies, this talk was a reminder that those sentiments may not be received well.

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So, today, when I saw Erickson’s article, Gen Y:  Really All That Narcissistic? in BusinessWeek.com, one message really resonated:  In the workplace, it’s valuable to consider our colleagues’ backgrounds and upbringing in order to interact successfully. 

Unlike in life, where we can choose our friends, we don’t always have a choice about co-workers.   Cross-generational workplaces are the norm in most cases, and (per Erickson’s research) will continue to be the norm as Boomers continue to participate in the paid working world long after the traditional retirement age. 

So, what should we know about Gen Y?

Erickson describes research that tags Gen Y as “30 percent more narcissistic in 2006 than was the average student in 1982.”  Dr. Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at the University of San Diego, came to this conclusion by analyzing data from an inventory that asks participants to rate themselves based on statements such as “I think I am a special person.”

Having been raised by parents who have been telling them how special they are for their entire lives, it would seem odd for Gen Y respondents NOT to agree that they are special!  I would suggest that a parent might worry if their young person rates themselves low on the “special” scale. 

Erickson points out that this is a shift in our perceptions.  She observes, “In 1982, saying that you were a “special person” would have been a fairly odd thing to do.” 

So, Gen Y members were raised to believe they are special.  They also have a propensity for praise, having grown accustomed to regular positive feedback.  As workers, they may expect supervisors to shower them with compliments and attention.  Boomers and Gen Xers may see Gen Y as spoiled or lazy (expecting praise for the smallest accomplishment). 

Erickson’s book points out that Boomers have only themselves to blame.  After all, they were the ones passing out trophies to winners and “not winners,” and giving their Gen Y children the sense of entitlement they now resent in the workplace.

So, Boomer and Gen X bosses can be more sensitive to the fact that their Gen Y employees thrive on praise.  Gen Y employees can appreciate that workers from previous generations don’t think that “excessive” praise is necessary in the workplace.  A little understanding can go a long way!

PS – Tammy Erickson’s next book targets Gen Y – Plugged In:  The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work, is expected in November 2008.

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