Generational differences in the workplace pose challenges, but differences appear even more pronounced for Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers (IABs). Fully 84 percent of IAB employees surveyed agree that there are real generational differences regarding work, and 72 percent agree that these differences pose challenges in their workplace, substantially higher that the national average. 

This report analyzies cutting-edge new data on what each generation values in an employer and how well the needs of different generations of workers are—or are not—being met.  The study included Millennials (age 29 and under), Generation X (ages 30-50) and Boomers (ages 51-68) who are employed full-time. The survey was conducted through a nationally representative online panel of 1,250 respondents in July 2011, and was tested again on 4,986 insurance industry employees in September 2011.

LifeCourse Associates is proud to present this report on the Millennials as a political generation. Commissioned by the New America Foundation as part of its New Social Contract program, co-authors Neil Howe and Reena Nadler analyze the unique traits of the Millennial generation and the implications for policy and political engagement. The report argues that Millennials’ political views will cut across traditional liberal and conservative lines and usher in a new era of politics.

As members of the Millennial Generation begin to enter the workplace, employers are quickly realizing that they will be facing a new phenomenon dubbed helicopter parenting. Hovering, ultra-protective, and unwilling to let go, helicopter parenting reflects the closeness of today's young people with parents. Research shows that levels of parental involvement differ based on an employer's size, location, recruitment tactics, and the type of positions they offer. Most employers will naturally react to this sort of intrusion by treating the parents like a disruptive nuisance. However, employers need to recognize that helicopter parenting is part of a larger generational shift, and will only increase in the decades ahead. Institutions such as schools, colleges, and the military have already effectively responded to helicopter parents by enrolling them as allies in their children's hiring and employment experience.

A PDF report is available for purchase at the bookstore.

Generations are among the most powerful forces in history. Tracking their march through time lends order—and even a measure of predictability—to long-term trends. In this article, published in the Harvard Business Review, Neil Howe and William Strauss explain the trajectories of today's three dominant generations: Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials. Understanding these generations can help you forecast market, workplace, and social trends decades into the future.