Millennial (not just Boomer) demands are creating new business opportunities
Posted On March 9, 2014
Aging Baby Boomers who don’t want to take on the typical retirement stereotypes have created demand for new businesses aimed at helping them address their AARP years in a whole new way. On the flip side of business, some Millennials are recognizing that their unique way of navigating the workforce demands some new ways of looking at business. Dan Friedman, the millennial founder of one such business, Thinkful, recently shared his perspective in Business Insider. In an nutshell, Friedman proposes that the loss of expectations for meaningful employee-employer loyalty has created a professional learning gap for today’s young workers. More… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, EntrepreneurshipBelieve it or not, your employees want to be engaged in their work
Posted On October 24, 2013
As much as it is maligned, the whole concept of “go out and find a job that makes you happy” may not be such a bad thing after all. Yes, it is possible that seeking happiness may make a person perpetually dissatisfied, as if there is always likely to be something better around the next bend. However, there are layers of happiness that can come with simple things, such as career accomplishments. And it seems this is where some companies are missing the boat. In a recent Workplace Insights study by Accounting Principals, hiring managers shared that while they know… Read More
Categories: Generations, WorkplaceGenerational differences must be accommodated to ensure optimal employee engagement
Posted On October 8, 2013
A new survey by Ceridian, reported in MarketWatch, highlights the changing expectations and desires of the different generations in the workplace. The results demonstrate that generational perspectives have a very real impact on the way employees engage with your business. Understanding and adapting to the generational difference can make a difference in the employee engagement, job satisfaction and company loyalty. According to the survey, non-monetary rewards are extremely important to the youngest generations. While salary certainly counts, 64% of respondents overall and 70% of Millennials wanted to see their companies offer perks such as free personal days, free food and… Read More
Categories: Generations, WorkplaceRethinking the Baby Boomer market
Posted On October 3, 2013
Businesses spend quite a bit of time trying to understand what’s next…from the workplace demands of the next generation of superstars to the buying habits of the famed “18-24 target market” of potential brand loyalists. However, demographics tell us that “what’s next” may well be what just was. That is, the power of last generation’s new target market—Baby Boomers—is still the most powerful consumer market, and the older Gen Xers are right on their tails. Businesses need to keep up. By 2017, nearly half the US population will be 50 or older. They will have the more purchasing power than… Read More
Categories: Advertising, Baby BoomersBoomers joining Millennials for the city life
Posted On September 26, 2013
Here’s an interesting new trend – Baby Boomers are beginning to settle down in the big city. According to a report in the Seattle Times, more and more Baby Boomers are walking away from the homes and yards in the suburbs to spend their empty-nester and retirement (or semi-retirement) years in the metro bustle that had once been the playground of the fresh-from-college crowd. It makes a lot of sense – smaller spaces, less time and money on maintenance, no worries about school districts – and it creates some interesting opportunities for employers and businesses. Besides the overall real estate… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, WorkHelicopter parents are back, and they are coming to an HR office near you
Posted On September 19, 2013
I’ve posted about this phenomenon before, and talked about it with clients over the years, but still people have a hard time believing it is true. Yes, I’m talking about parents getting all up in their grown children’s employment business. The topic is back thanks to an article in Huffington Post Business “Millennials Now Bring Their Parents along to Job Interviews.” HuffPost is reporting out statistics that say 3% of job seekers have their parents sit in on an interview – a number that seems statistically insignificant until you realize that until a few years ago not only would the… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Parenting, WorkplacePost-retirement Boomer careers – taking a tip from younger generations?
Posted On August 22, 2013
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, WorkplaceLatest Gallup poll on generations in the workforce paints unsettling picture
Posted On August 20, 2013
Boomers 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, WorkplaceBrew on this. Baby Boomers and beer sales
Posted On August 15, 2013
Target 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 DesignLoss of master-apprentice relationship hints at loss of future masters
Posted On August 15, 2013
Tradesmen. 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, Workplace