How Generation X Differs From Baby Boomers

Generation Xers appear to be unhappy in today's workplace and it has much to do with employers and executives treating them like Baby Boomers, the current dominant generation.

In my article in the National Post, Generation X Will Change Work Culture I said, "Generation X, born between l960 and l980, grew up with pet rocks, platform shoes and watched The Simpsons. They question authority, seek bigger meaning in life and work, are technologically savvy, live in the present, are skeptical, see career as a key to happiness, are open to multi-careers, consider challenge and variety as being more important than job security and constantly aim to achieve work-life balance....the Generation X manager is typically mature beyond their years, very adaptable and flexible, and team oriented. They have high expectations of employees and don't buy into power structures. Generation X managers need positive validation for their work or they will not hesitate to quit their jobs. They hate being micro-managed and want independence in their work, which may explain why so many of this generation have turned to entrepreneurship."

In an article by Tamara Erickson in the Harvard Business Review blog, and reprinted in BusinessWeek, entitled, Ten Reasons Gen Xers Are Unhappy at Work, she argues that Gen Xers don't value the same things as Boomers, and it's not likely they will when they "grow up", because they don't think like Boomers.

Erickson says that Gen Xers were affected by their experiences as latchkey children watching their parents get laid off from the corporation. As a result, Gen Xers want to be able to take care of themselves through difficult times.

So what do Gen X workers want from their employers?

They want jobs that offer a variety of career paths and allow them to gain fresh, marketable skills; build a strong network of contacts, and put money in the bank. Boomers like to "win" the top job after climbing the career ladder, whereas Xers want to have multiple options and lateral career opportunities. Xers also see lateral career moves as useful for that entrepreneurial venture that may come along.

While maybe not as much as Generation Y workers, Gen Xers maintain strong friend networks and form business relationships based on an eye for future security. So companies that are known as good places to develop networks, to "see and be seen," have an advantage with Xers. Important too for Xers, are participation in learning opportunities, training, and networking events. In addition to self-sufficiency, Gen Xers place a higher priority on their children and family relationships more than did Boomers. Many Xers would take lower pay or a lesser job to gain flexibility and time with their families.

Erickson, currently researching her upcoming book on Generation X, says that organizations that take Gen Xers for granted run the risk of losing key talent. Gen X is not enamored with corporate life, so companies, faced with a large exodus of retiring Boomers, need to rethink their approach to appeal to the talent they need not only to attract but retain.