Generations: what kind of gold do you have in your hands?

Baby boomers, millennials, generation X, generation Z. You probably see these terms regularly. But what do they actually mean? And what can you, as an employer, do with this information? By gaining insight into the different generations with their associated characteristics, you discover what kind of gold you have in your hands and can anticipate possible generational differences within your organization.

The young energetic dog eager for innovation, the ambitious but modest employee who delivers much more work under the radar than you realize. But also the older employee from the protest generation, who actually keeps up with the times better than often thought. Every fifteen years, a new generation unfolds in the labor market.

What constitutes a generation?

A generation is determined based on the following points:

• A shared life history and/or shared circumstances and experience of the zeitgeist (which often influences the upbringing you receive);
• A shared reaction to the zeitgeist, based on the ability to sense where the (work) environment is in need of renewal. Spontaneous interaction between contemporaries strengthens generation formation;
• A shared destiny that manifests in a shared mental, emotional, and physical development and attitude (a collective talent development).

What generations are there and what are their characteristics?

Baby boomers - Stubborn, but wise
(Born between approximately 1945 – 1955)

The baby boomers, also known as the protest generation, are the older employees in the organization. They have known a trend of growth and prosperity from their young years and value status and prestige (a nice house, car, good pension). Baby boomers are currently still the largest generation in the workplace and bring a lot of knowledge with them thanks to their years of experience.

It is often assumed that baby boomers do not want or cannot keep up with developments, but in practice, the opposite is often true: baby boomers are a fantastic combination with millennials: passionately seeking innovation and development.

Generation X - 'Don't talk, just do it'
(Born between approximately 1956 and 1985)

Generation X is also known as the 'connecting' generation. Marked by the economic crisis, this generation has enormous self-reliance and an attitude of 'let's see what works and build on that'. A modest but very involved group of employees who do not take the lead but prefer to realize growth together with the organization with a focus on professionalization, quality, and diversity.

Generation Y - Impatient and progressive
(Born between approximately 1982-2001)

This much-discussed generation, also known as 'Millennials', is a very ambitious group of employees. Self-development, collaboration, and meaningfulness are highly valued, while status and a good salary are much less important to them. This generation has foresight and does not shy away from standing up for interests, for themselves, but also for the organization. Because this generation grew up with the internet, they are somewhat impatient and therefore want to make quick progress. With an eye on innovation, this is a perfect group of employees.

Generation Z - Serious and pragmatic
(Born after 1992)

While this group of employees belongs to the youngest (the oldest of them are just entering the labor market), it is relatively the most sensible generation. Generation Y consists of extremely hard workers, world improvers. Expenditures are weighed, as are choices for study. From the perspective that this generation chooses certainty, this becomes a very reliable and stable group of employees within the organization.

Which generations do you have in your organization?

Is there also a generation gap within your organization? Get advice and contact us.