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, WorkplaceTradesmen. 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, WorkplaceSo here’s an interesting one – at least from my perspective as a parent and as a speaker on generational topics. For 15 years I’ve been working with largely Boomer business leaders who are exasperated with the way younger generations behave in the business world. Time and again, I’ve considered – and occasionally pondered aloud – that the employees who don’t want to pay their dues and expect to be praised for showing up on time were raised with participation trophies and an “as long as you’re happy” mantra by the very people (collectively) who are now their employers and… Read More
Categories: Generations, Parenting, WorkplaceAlong with widespread discussion about what happens when all those Boomers retire, a parallel discussion has emerged about what will happen if they don’t. As Boomers reach retirement age, many of them just keep on working. Some can’t afford to retire and some just like their work. Remember, this is the workaholic generation. A debate has begun about what effect the non-retirement of Boomers will have. On one side, some have argued that it will mostly be positive: less demand on retirement systems and more wealth to fuel Boomer consumption, expanding opportunity for everyone. For the other side, Boomers sticking… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generations, Work, WorkplaceMillennial optimism is tempered by anxiety in new life stage known as “emerging adulthood.” Millennials feel as though they should be launching independent adult lives but haven’t been able to set sail. A Clark University survey finds many of them feeling anxiety (56%), uncertainty (65%), and depression (33%). Though 18-29 years old, most feel adulthood lay ahead of them and that it must surely be better than the intermediate stage they’re in (60%). There’s still more than a glimmer of optimism as 82% say it “still seems like anything is possible.” Millennials are riding out this tough stage by remaining… Read More
Categories: Generations, Recession EconomyWhat do you think? Please go to the YouTube page (http://youtu.be/0NgSdaRJYJk) and weigh in w your thoughts. Cam
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generations, Matures, WorkplaceMillennials are more likely to have a job in retail than in any other field, according to a PayScale analysis of 500 thousand Millennials in the workforce. Retail jobs are typically low-paying (average of about $19k per year), entry-level jobs. While that might seem a natural starting point for a generation entering the workforce, many are finding that such work does not match their qualifications or financial needs.For example, 83% of Millennials who work in clothing sales report having a bachelor’s degree. College educated Millennials typically have tens of thousands of dollars of student loan and other debt so retail… Read More
Categories: Generations, Workplacehttp://www.newgeography.com/content/002960-are-millennials-screwed-generation Wonderful column on the plight of the Millennials in this time of “new normal.” Worth the read. What the author doesn’t mention is that the Millennials were raised to follow agenda and rules. They have. And now this. Bitterness? You’d better believe it. How will their bitterness manifest itself in ten, fifteen, or twenty years? No one knows. It could be a whole new level of activism to change their status quo. It could be reverting to their Boomer parent’s days of “tune in, turn on, and drop out.” When confronted with this size of an uphill battle, fight… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Generations, Recession EconomyA new Allianz survey shows that Baby Boomers think it’s more important for a family to pass on its non-material legacy than to pass on its wealth. 86% of Boomers said it was important for elders to pass on their family’s history and stories to their descendants. 64% place importance on the inheritance of family possessions. But only 9% consider a financial inheritance to be vital. The Matures, the Boomers parents, generally agree with their offspring though they place a relatively higher priority on leaving behind some wealth for their kids. In comparison with the same survey conducted in 2005,… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, MaturesBaby Boomers give the most positive online ratings, Gen Xers the most negative ones, and Millennials fall in the middle, according to a Bazaarvoice study of 6 million online opinions. A majority of all generations are now online and all participate in reviewing and rating products on web sites. In fact, 82% of all online reviews and ratings are positive, according to the study. Baby Boomers now make up the largest group of online reviewers at 45%. They are also the most likely to give the highest (5-star) ratings to products. Not surprisingly, Gen Xers tend to be the harshest critics… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog