You can barely pick up the paper these days without hearing about the 10,000 Baby Boomers who are reaching retirement age every day and how they will a) be a drain on the social security system and b) not “go gently into that good night.” Yet whether it is for the flexibility to visit with grandchildren and pursue travel dreams, the need for added income, or simply the desire not to be seen as past their prime, more and more Boomers are taking post-retirement careers. Boomers that achieved executive status often return to the workforce as consultants – working flexible… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Work, WorkplaceBoomers and Xers make up 88% of the workforce, but only about 27% are actively engaged employees, according to the most recent Gallup research. In fact, the only generation with a strong margin of actively engaged employees was the Traditionalists (I call them the Matures), whose engagement profile is 44% – yet they represent only 4% of all employees. So what does this mean for employers? If nearly 75% of employees are not engaged or actively disengaged – that is, they would considering leaving their place of employment if another opportunity surfaced or they are actively seeking alternate employment –… Read More
Categories: Generations, WorkplaceTarget marketing based on age groupings is nothing new – advertising companies have been doing it for ages. However, this approach by Heineken struck me as particularly interesting from a generational perspective. The Heineken Ideas Brewery is in itself a great concept for the younger generations as it is allows consumers to share thoughts directly with the brewery and plays into the Xer and Millennial desire to be recognized as individuals with individual wants. Apparently the company wasn’t satisfied with its sales to the Boomer generation and decided to ask consumers their ideas for new products that would attract this… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Product DesignTradesmen. Craftsmen. Artisans. Skilled laborers. Whatever you want to call it, they are a dying breed and businesses are taking note. As Gen X and Millennials vie for white collar office space, or skip the corporate world and jump right into a start-up, the master-apprentice tradition of learning specific skills on the job and over years is getting lost. And as Boomers retire, trade skills are getting lost too. Businesses that rely on skilled labor need to work hard, and fast, to replace that centuries-old tradition and bring new apprentices into the fold. As mentioned in the article linked above,… Read More
Categories: Generations, WorkplaceIt is no secret that technology know-how of youth raised in the age of the smartphones in the pocket far outpaces those who were raised with rotary phones tethered to the kitchen wall. Today’s youth don’t really need to be taught how to use technology, rather, they need to be taught when and why to choose technology to communicate in the best way. Even then, they may be teaching that to you. A recent study by CompTIA reveals that Millennials often look at the technology offerings of potential employers when determining interest in potential job. Using social media effectively for… Read More
Categories: Downloadable Media, WorkplaceWhether it is due to fears about the economy, finally getting tired of the corporate grind, or simply a desire to stay busy in retirement, it seems more and more Baby Boomers are putting on the entrepreneur’s cap. In fact, the Rapid City Journal recently profiled a Boomer entrepreneur whose bright idea for business is a support service company specifically for helping Boomer entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. Talk about niche. And yet he already has 50 businesses signed up. What does this trend mean to your business? Are you losing experienced professionals because they are ready to… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, WorkThe folks at BuzzFeed got a lot of response to a recent post about the small slice of young adults caught between the associated norms of the Millennials and Generation X. So much reaction, in fact, that they decided to run a poll and let the members of the group name itself. If you were born between 1975 and 1982, what do you think your generational name should be? Now, mind you, I don’t think this is a very necessary task. Generations always blur at the edges and generational norms are just that – norms. No single person is defined… Read More
Categories: GenerationsFor years, economists and generational experts have been talking about the business impact that will come as Baby Boomers retire in droves. Entire industries have emerged to handle the needs of this enormous generation as it ages out of the work world and into some semblance of retirement – be that semi-retired or active senior living or long term care. But Boomers are affecting established industries as well. A recent story on NBC News highlights how restaurateurs are catering to the Boomer clientele. When we think of restaurants and other B2C business, the trends have historically shifted toward the youth. … Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, WorkSpeak to a marketing professional – particularly one in the B-to-B space – and at some point they will tell you that content is king. What does that have to do with Millennials? Well, if content is king – then the creation of content is currency. Millennials, who are typically in the early stages of their careers, are not frequently in the position to be the valued thought leaders of a company. And yet, they do bring value to the content game. A recent piece on Huffington Post highlights this reality. Millennials may not bring the earned industry knowledge to… Read More
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