Scrap the generation gap, why we are all more on the same wavelength than you think

Open a newspaper, scroll through social media or listen to workplace chatter and the topic of the generation gap is everywhere. From the Generation Z ‘quiet quitting’ trend to the millennial managers memes and endless media articles on the rise of ‘5G’ workplaces – what damage is this narrative doing to the way people view the world of work?

We now have five generations in the workplace, and if you believe everything you read, they are more divided than ever. However, we have taken a deeper look at the evidence, and the 5G’s might be more on the same wavelength than we think.

Motivational behaviours tell us so much more about the generation than the year they were born. Having worked in marketing for decades, I’ve seen generational consumer personas become tired and out-dated – if a 60-year-old and an 18-year-old can wear the same pair of Dr. Martens, support the same cause or enjoy the same music, then why do we think people behave differently at work?

So, I’ve taken a look at some of the data to see if I can find more similarities than differences in the workplace generations:

Things have changed – that’s for sure

The workplace division is present at every level, as recent research by LinkedIn found that only a fifth of Gen Z’s have spoken to a colleague over 50 years old in the last year, while 44 per cent of over-55s have avoided having conversations with the youngest generation.

It’s true we all have different lived experiences that come with age and experience, and that there’s been a shift in the way people in particular view the role of work in their lives for example, as 71 per cent of millennial workers say the pandemic made them “rethink the place that work should have in their lives.”

But when it comes to attitudes and behaviours across the board, there are some interesting connections between the generations that suggest we may be more alike than we think.

Age agnostic activism

Take activism for example – if you asked most people they would maybe say the younger Gen Z is known for their outspoken views and desire to pick careers based on their personal beliefs and values – but actually it’s quite an age agnostic tribe.

Several generations have started choosing a business for its values and purpose since the pandemic ‘workquake’ – driven more by the impact they can have rather than just their job title or salary. They are seeking out DEI and ESG credentials and fair practice, based on a growing mistrust of big business and they have a new ability to speak out publicly if they don’t like the decisions made by their employers, thanks to social media.

Whilst commonly associated with younger Gen Z employees, this attitude is growing amongst older workers with the highest increase in workplace activism amongst Boomers, with 62 per cent going directly to management to motivate urgently necessary changes within their organisation and Millennials are the highest-ranking generation to engage with co-workers on important societal issues, suggesting a workplace social conscience is not just the prevail of the youth.

Freedom seekers

Freedom and flexibility are also a multi-generational demand nowadays. It’s not just the TikTok generation that want the freedom to have a portfolio career, older workers have embraced freelancing to make extra income or simply enjoy the variety. Generation X (along with Baby Boomers) make up almost half of freelancers, with 48 per cent in the 40-49 or 50-59 age brackets and 40 per cent of Gen Z workers are combining at least two roles.

The shift to a new way of viewing the place of work in our lives happened post 2020 and it happened to all of us. Whether it’s learning new skills, hybrid working or a complete lifestyle overhaul – the pandemic definitely created a ‘workquake’.

Businesses may have to find new ways to hire top talent and approach to career progression may need to change to allow people freedom to move between departments and projects if they want them to stay.

Understanding behaviours

We wanted to learn more about using employee behavioural understanding to create a new approach to people marketing that uses creative thinking blended with behavioural data to take a more nuanced approach and focus on what binds people together at work, not what makes people different.

We teamed up with Duo Global Consulting, a firm that provides human behaviour and people performance consulting who say, according to over 5,000 behavioural studies with individuals across age groups in many organisations, they believe that the focus on multi-generational management has been a bit of a misnomer. This has led some businesses to make sweeping assumptions that age impacts key behaviours, instead of considering simply what motivates them.

Duo believe if we look at our workforce as individuals, not age brackets and to develop a multi-dimensional brand communications strategy that takes into consideration their motivators such as their attitude to change, or preference for affiliation over power, or their preference to work alone for example.

Employer branding is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ but it’s not about individualising every piece of comms either; it’s about not getting blindsided by so-called “generational differences” and appreciating the reality of your workforce.

By understanding your team better, you can work out who you want to attract based on the behaviours and values of your best people, not hire simply on hard skills and experience – it opens up a much richer way of marketing your business and finding the right ‘tribe’ for you.

 

LinkedIn: Kari Owers

o.agency