In today’s typical business, Boomers and Gen Xers have trouble understanding each other —and neither generation knows what to do about the rising young Millennials just coming out of school. Only 30 percent of Millennial workers recommend their organization as a good place to work—largely because they are not receiving what they need from their Boomer or Gen-X managers, according to a recent Leadership IQ survey.  And with Boomers on the verge of retirement, the Millennials will make up a rapidly increasing share of America’s workforce over the next twenty years. 

Despite this increasingly prevalent and widely acknowledged problem, there is a surprising lack of research on the topic of generations in the workplace. LifeCourse decided to do something about this. We’ve just completed the first comprehensive national study of full time workers on attitudes of generations in the workplace. Among the findings, almost 3 in 4 agree that there are “real differences between generations in how they approach work”. Furthermore, Millennials were shown to have lower overall job satisfaction than Boomers and Xers.

In concert with the national study on generations, LifeCourse has launched the Generational Workplace Audit (GWA), a workplace solution used by firms to better understand the dynamics between generations in the workplace, with a particular emphasis on understanding the Millennial Generation. The comprehensive nature of the GWA gives firms a roadmap for implementing strategies to improve overall employee performance, productivity, and enhance communications

With results like these, firms possess precise information on the critical strengths and weaknesses of its talent management, and can map a detailed strategy for raising the probability of success. LifeCourse Associates works with firms to develop targeted strategies to address the generation gaps that emerge from the research. We review a firm’s policies and procedures to assess sensitivities to the different generations, and advise on new approaches.  Additionally, LifeCourse makes available workshops for employees, their managers, and company principals on understanding and working effectively with colleagues from other generations.

Framework for Understanding Generations in the Workplace

The GWA is a diagnostic tool that provides firms with detailed analysis of their workforce through the lens of generations. Results of the Audit are reported in three main components: Engagement, Alignment, and Communication.

The Generational Engagement Index quantifies levels of engagement by generation. Engagement has been proven in many studies to link to productivity, sales growth, and profitability. Our initial research shows that Millennials are less engaged than Boomers and Xers. The GWA compares your levels of generational engagement compared to a national benchmark standard.

The Generational Alignment Index quantifies the difference between what is important to employees compared to how satisfied they are in their place of work. Issues cover four main domains, and twelve categories such as mentorship, training, direction, sociability, etc.

The Generational Communication Index, measuring barriers to inter-generational communication in the workplace (what older workers think of young hires, how well mid-level managers communicate up and down the generational ladder, etc). Here, we can better understand the areas between communications that are strong versus the ones that need improvement.

Contact LifeCourse for more information on the Generational Workplace Audit Solution for your business.

Contact Warren Wright:

wright@lifecourse.com

Work: (703) 759-2997