Generational Differences May Determine Onboarding Process
Posted by DougHay on February 8, 2012
The different working generations take very different views of the importance of various factors involved in success at work.
I met Kathy Dean of Teneo Talent through LinkedIn. She shared with me some interesting data that compares the four generational groups that make up our current workforce.
I've reprinted her blog post on the topic below along with a brief description of Teneo Talent. I'd love to get your thoughts on how some of these traits may affect the manner in which we conduct background checks in the future.
Teneo Talent is a new Denver based sales recruiting agency operating at http://teneotalent.com . It's a different kind of resource for candidates, each of whom receives a free on-line occupational personality assessment from leading global assessments provider SHL Group Ltd. Each one also gets individual attention from a career coach. TeneoTalent's goal is to match candidates' sales strengths to positions where they can thrive and find a long term fit with the employer. If we can't find you a job, we support in taking your next steps towards your career goals.
Original Post June28, 2010 TeneoTalent Sales Blog, Edwin Dean
The different working generations take very different views of the importance of various factors involved in success at work. Hiring managers already have a tough job simply replacing the large number of Baby Boomers (population 77 million) who are already retiring in increasing numbers.
The Gen X workers who are replacing them have attitudes towards work not too unlike the Boomers, but they are a much smaller group (45 million), and by the time Gen Y arrives in force (80 million), their managers will have to learn to deal with a whole new set of skills, disciplines, attitudes and interests.
In the face of this generational change, coupled with changing technology, it’s more important than ever for employers to figure out the cultural aspects of the workplace in order to be able to identify, find and keep the best suited workers.
The table below is found in the 2007 Randstad USA World of Work. Some of these elements can be addressed through training, others probably not.
Perceived Elements of Success in the Workplace
Baby
Gen Y Gen X Boomer Matures
Use computers 66% 79% 82% 78%
Meet deadlines 62% 75% 77% 84%
Multitasking 59% 68% 70% 66%
Willingness to
learn new things 58% 74% 80% 84%
Speak clearly
& concisely 55% 72% 72% 78%
Arriving to work
on time 53% 56% 62% 66%
Get along
w/people 53% 71% 78% 81%
Organizational
skills 50% 67% 73% 70%
Write clearly
and concisely 47% 61% 69% 68%
Set priorities 46% 61% 72% 73%
work in groups 44% 46% 48% 42%
Willingness
to work long hours 28% 34% 35% 32%
Lead groups 28% 36% 38% 34%
Management skills 28% 45% 54% 56%
Undergraduate/ 25% 30% 28% 31%
Bachelors degree
Professional attire 20% 22% 20% 21%
Technical/
trade school cert 10% 18% 13% 14%
Graduate/
Masters or higher 9% 15% 17% 18%
Associate’s degree 8% 16% 12% 11%
Generation Y is defined as adults whose birth year falls between 1980 and 1988.
Generation X is defined as adults whose birth year falls between 1965 and 1979
Baby Boomer is defined as adults whose birth year falls between 1946 and 1964
Mature is defined as adults whose birth year falls before 1945.
