5 Common Generational Differences in the Workplace

Twenty-somethings and fifty-somethings generally keep to totally separate social spheres, unless it’s forced attendance at a family reunion — or at an office. Yes, generational divides pop up pretty frequently among the cubicles, and a bit of friction between the old guard and the new is pretty much unavoidable. So how do baby boomers and millennials approach work differently? Check out these five common generational differences in the workplace:

Teamwork vs. Competition: Growing up with soccer moms carting them around to a different team practice everyday of the week, millennials bring that “go, team!” attitude to the work place. Younger workers enjoy teaming up to solve problems and see a lot of value in working together. Older workers, particularly the baby boomers who were born between 1946 and 1964, have more of a competitive edge to them — as the Wall Street Journal reports, boomers think workers need to “earn their dues.”

Tech Savvy vs. Tech Adverse: The youngest workers in any given office today were practically born with an iPhone in their hands. Millennials are using this major tech advantage to their workplace advantage; being tech and social media savvy gives some younger workers an edge over older candidates when it comes to jobs where technical know-how is a must — which is almost every job these days. Companies, though, can help bridge the tech divide by having younger employees coach their older tech-adverse office mates on the ins and outs of technology and social media in what’s called “reverse mentorships.”

Job-Hopping vs. Loyalty: According to a report by Beyond.com, nearly a third of companies lose at least 15 percent of their millennial work force every year. Why? Millennials aren’t afraid to ask for what they want out of a job — and they aren’t afraid to leave when they don’t get it. For Generation Y, job-hopping has been a tool for moving up the corporate ladder. Older generations, however — especially Boomers — value loyalty and typically stay at companies for much longer stints. The Boomer approach to company loyalty makes more sense, since older generations are more used to companies “caring” for employees through pensions, which are largely a thing of the past.

Keeping It Casual vs. All Buttoned Up: Even the look of millennial vs. boomer employees can be drastically different! Craving comfort over respectability, many millennials try to get away with rolling into work wearing a hoodie and jeans (in fact, that’s practically the uniform at tech start ups run by young ‘uns). Older workers stick to the standard business or business casual uniform of suits, or at least button downs.

Freedom vs. Hierarchy: For many millennials, plenty o’ freedom is a non-negotiable in a work environment — members of Generation Y may claim that freedom breeds creativity and fosters trust between boss and employee. Many companies are instituting more flexible policies (like working from home) and even open-layout offices that reflect a more non-hierarchical structure to keep millennials happy. Older workers, however, are happy with hierarchy, since they’ve grown up with a more healthy respect for authority. Plus, a clear workplace hierarchy means there’s a clear path to the top of the corporate ladder, which older workers are generally satisfied with climbing step by step (unlike many overeager younger employees). It’s up to management to figure out how to design a hierarchical structure that works for members of all generations.

What other differences have you noticed between generations in the workplace? Share your insights with us in the comments below!