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Boomers Working for Millennials: Finding common ground! [Guest Post]

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Boomers Working for Millenials

MillenialsIf you are a baby boomer, you probably have children that are millennials. Do you network with people your kid’s age?

Could you see yourself working for a millennial in the near future?

Have you incorporated millennials into your job search network?

If you have not, you should, and here is why.

Millennials Will Dominate the Workforce

First, look at the current demographics of the workforce. According to the Pew Research, baby boomers make up 1/3 and generation X and millennials make up the other 2/3s.

The reality is, many of the current hiring managers are much younger than you, and in they will continue to be in the future. Millennials will dominate the workforce by 2020 and outnumber the baby boomers.

What does this mean for you as a Job Seeker?

It means you need to make sure millennials are in your job search network NOW!

Are millennial managers in your network?

Your new approach is not to spend time looking in the advertised market. Develop relationships with millennial managers who could hire you.

Find a “common ground” with Millennials by understanding what they look for in baby boomer new hires.

You want to know this before the interview—not during it.

As one of Stephen Covey’s Habits of Highly Successful People, “Seek to understand, then to be understood,” which could translate into: Learn first and then sell yourself!

New Approach

How can you get started on your new approach? Here are some 7 tips to help you!

  1.  Adjust your mindset so that, on Monday morning, you have new job search responsibilities and activities to begin your day. You will NOT be applying for jobs in the advertised market!
  2.  Create an uplifting 30-second commercial using language about the changing demographics and your goal of building a network of millennials.
  3.  Invite a group of your children’s friends and work colleagues over to let them know you are in the job market. Tell them that you are trying to build a diverse network that includes young professionals.
  4.  Ask great questions to learn about their values, motivators, and what they may be looking for in a baby boomer employee.
  5.  Attend an association meeting for young professionals where you will meet many people from different industries and disciplines, too.
  6.  Update your LinkedIn profile that includes interests of activities that keep you active. Ask for recommendations from someone younger that either worked for you or with you.
  7.  Volunteer your time with organizations that need mentors where younger people can see you engaged and connected to what they are doing.

Baby boomers are going up against younger job candidates. The more you understand and “find the common ground,” you just might increase your chances of being hired!

What is your next step to find common ground with millennials?

About the author

Jayne_MattsonJayne Mattson is Senior Vice President of Keystone Associates, a founding partner of Career Partners International LLC, a partnership of global leaders in the talent management and outplacement industries. Jayne consults with professionals from a diverse range of industries and functions and specializes in mid-career change and pre-retirement planning. She is a Certified Retirement Coach and Master Career Consultant.

Jayne frequently authors articles on numerous career topics; her work has appeared on Mashable.com, Monster, Career Builder and print publications including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

Jayne volunteers her time in youth organizations to help them build self-confidence and professional leadership skills.

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The Generational Fault Line – Quake or Tremor

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The Generational Fault Line

Why the differences between generations will reshape your workplace

generational fault lineThere is a definite Generational Fault Line that was clearly denoted in a new report I was asked to review. The report, The Great Generational Shift –Why the differences between generations will reshape your workplace was developed by Hudson, a leading provider of specialized recruitment, talent management, and recruitment process outsourcing services in the Americas and worldwide.

This is by far the most comprehensive study of generational issues in the workplace that has given psychographic assessments to a large audience (28,000) and was multicultural (22 languages).

I have written extensively on the Multi-Generational Workplace on this blog. This report largely supports many of the conclusions that I have written but is backed with a comprehensive study of thousands of workers.

Generational Fault Line in Leadership Style

Baby boomers were trained in traditional leadership traits based on leading, decisive, motivating, and persuasive. Baby boomers scored significantly higher in these leadership traits than Gen X and Gen Y.  However, the report states:

Today’s workforce does not need to be persuaded of the facts (they can check Google) but instead seeks leaders who can sift through mounds of data and translate it into meaningful insights.

Gen Y has been raised in the era of big data. It is more about being able to analyze data and translate that into business results.

Baby boomer leaders were trained to be strategic in their leadership style. Gen Yers have entered the job market at a time of tremendous change and uncertainty. The report states:

Generation Y is much less ‘strategic’ than Boomers, which may reflect today’s increasingly volatile and uncertain
business environment. It is harder than it was in the past to develop long-term business strategies, and leaders need to be nimble to deal with frequent changes to the competitive landscape.

Long term strategy is far less important in a world where you have to be able to pivot…and pivot quickly.

Do you see the generational fault line pressure building?

Boomers Will Have to Adjust Expectations

The generational fault line is going to shift. If you are a baby boomer, you have to accept it is going to happen! With many baby boomers unable to retire, baby boomers will have to adjust their expectations.

The study finds that baby boomers are less ambitious and altruistic than Gen Y. I cannot speak for everyone, but I am far less ambitious now in my late 50s than I was in my 20s and 30s.

There is no question in my mind that Gen Y is far more altruistic than baby boomers.

The report states:

As new leadership traits creep into the workplace, Boomers will need to be aware of the key drivers behind the visibly different behavior. Avoiding judgment and embracing Boomers have a great deal still to contribute to the workforce in the coming two decades, not only in their own skills but in passing on these skills and mentoring younger generations. Yet they are less ambitious and altruistic than younger people so will need to be motivated to share those skills in other ways.

I previously wrote that it is highly likely you will work for someone who looks like your kid!

Are you ready to mentor the next generation to be leaders? I have expressed concern in the past on where Gen Y will acquire and learn leadership skills given the demise of long term corporate employment.

There is a definite generational fault line between Baby Boomer and Gen Y expectations in the workplace.

Generation Y May Not Be Entitled and Impatient, Just Misunderstood

I have said over and over that:

Gen Y is the way they are because—we made them that way!

Gen Y was raised in an environment where everyone wins. Everyone gets a trophy or blue ribbon. These expectations need to be managed. At the same time, they were raised in a connected world. They are used to constant communications and, therefore, feedback.

I hear complaints that Gen Y do not have interpersonal skills. They have very different interpersonal and communications styles than baby boomers or Gen X. 

The report states:

Raised in a connected world, they will also prefer to communicate through non-traditional channels and may need more regular feedback and reinforcement than other generations think necessary.

Organizations need to ensure they are aware of the benefits of a well-rounded individual and provide opportunities for Generation Y to see and experience other traits such as motivation and persuasion in action.

What About Gen X

Lori Hock, Hudson CEO Americas stated:

Generation X will have to become the diplomats in this great generational shift. They will have to learn traditional leadership skills from baby boomers and adapt them to the new workplace. They will need to learn to lead but share with baby boomer leadership and up and coming Gen Y leaders.

Every generation is necessary going forward in to keep the generation fault line from creating an earthquake.

Every generation will need to be making adjustments and accommodations to create a stronger and more united collective.

This is just in time, especially in the USA, as we have much new and re-building to do ahead. Business, as usual, is changing much faster than any new way is replacing it.

Take the time to download and read this report, The Great Generational Shift –Why the differences between generations will reshape your workplace.

What are you doing to keep the generational fault line slowly shifting and preventing a major earthquake?

Marc Miller  

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Battling Age Discrimination – Young and Old

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Battling Age Discrimination

Age discriminationAge discrimination is a reality in the current job market. It affects two vastly different groups:

Notice both groups battle age discrimination due to issues in employers’ perceptions of their skills and experience.

What is interesting is that both groups can use the same strategies to combat age discrimination.

It is all about demonstrating and not telling what you can do to solve your future employer’s problems.

Who you know and who knows you is critical!

The days of waiting for a position to be posted and then applying for it are over. More than any time in history, personal relationships are paramount to your employment.

The issue is these two groups have different definitions of what constitutes a relationship.

If you are under 30, you likely define relationships in online terms. Following someone on Twitter, friending someone on Facebook, or connecting to someone on LinkedIn, you will likely say you have formed a relationship.

If you are over 50, you likely define relations in offline terms. If you have met someone in person (or at least talked to someone on the phone), you will likely say you have a relationship.

The problem is that today’s world requires both!

I serve an Austin based non-profit, Launch Pad Job Club, where I was asked recently by an over 50 job seeker if they need to be on Twitter. My answer was YES! They asked why. My response was that, if I hope to get a response from a recruiter, I will tweet to them. I will adapt to the communication medium that they are most comfortable with.

I was recently giving a workshop on the Multi-Generational Workplace and was asked by a millennial participant about the problems she gets into with her mother. She always texts her mother. I had explained that different generations need to adapt to each other. If she wants to develop relationships with someone over 50, she will likely need to talk to them.

Each group needs to adapt. You need to build relationships both online and offline.

Create a Platform

Creating a social media platform is key to demonstrating that you know your stuff and, therefore, battles age discrimination. You can now:

  • Attach work product to your LinkedIn profile. This could be presentations on SlideShare, PowerPoint slide decks, videos, sample documents of your work, links to code you have written, and just about anything that can be found on the Internet.
  • LinkedIn Publisher is now a platform that will be available for you to publish to anyone. This is an excellent way to demonstrate that you know your stuff.

Once you have established a platform, showing that you know your stuff, you need to promote, promote, and promote some more. You do this by connecting effectively on social media.

Each group has issues.

The younger you are, the less likely you will have work samples to demonstrate what you know. In that case, create them!

The older you are, the less likely you will want to promote and connect. It is not how we were raised. Get over it.

Overcoming Age Discrimination

If you want to overcome age discrimination, it is about targeting key employers and developing key relationships using both online and offline methods. Once the relationship is established, you need to be able to show them that you know your stuff.

Whether you are experiencing age discrimination at the beginning or at the end of your career, it is all about relationships!

This post is part of a weekly series on the Personal Branding Blog.

You can read the original post on the Personal Branding Blog.

Marc Miller  

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Workplace Communications – Generational Differences

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Workplace Communications

workplace communicationsWorkplace communications have changed dramatically in my lifetime.

When I started working as a programmer in Chicago in the mid-1970s, I had a phone on my desk. If I wanted to talk to my boss, I would call him and his secretary would often answer his phone. If he was not there, she would take a message on a little piece of paper and put it on his desk.

In the early 1980s, I used IBM’s mainframe-based e-mail system called PROFS. My phone was tied to a message center and, if I did not answer in 4 rings, the center would answer and take a message. A little light would flash on our phone to tell me to call the message center to get the message.

In the mid-1980s, I got an answering machine with those little cassette tapes. That was later replaced by voice mail.

In the early 1990s, I had my first Internet-based e-mail address. I received my first laptop and a modem to use to dial up to download e-mail.

In the mid-1990s, I got a pager, a cell phone, and I learned to text.

Later came smartphones—first a Crackberry…err…a Blackberry, and then an iPhone. Now, I am constantly connected.

WOW, things have changed!

(More: Gen X and Y – Like Oil and Water?)

Generational Differences

I am a baby boomer (born 1946-1964) and I was born in the mid-1950s. I grew up talking face to face or on the phone. If you want to communicate with me, I would much rather have you talk to me than email or text me. I am typical of my generation, I want a face to face dialog, but if that is not possible, let’s talk on the phone. I want to hear your voice inflection, passion, and desire.

Gen Xers (born 1965-1982) first started entering the workforce in the late 1980’s. Email was the norm.  If a Gen Xer needed to communicate to someone it was, typically, through e-mail. Have you or one of your colleagues sent an e-mail to the person in the next cube or office? Come on…you know you have!

Gen Y or Millennials (born 1983-2000) entered the workplace when mobile communications devices were the norm—cellular and smartphones. Google was the preferred way of finding things. Texting and instant messaging were the most common ways to communicate. This generation created social media and is highly social. However, not in a manner that most baby boomers perceive!

(More: Group Dynamics in the Multi-Generational Workplace)

Workplace Communications in a Multi-Generational Office

When you have multiple generations working side by side not everyone has the same preferred communications mode.

If I, a baby boomer, want to get the attention of a millennial who is on the other side of the building, I will likely text them. If I call them, they probably will not answer the phone AND they probably will not listen to my voicemail.
Notice I say probably because, even within a generation, there are great variations.

Similarly, if a millennial texts a baby boomer, the baby boomer may not read the text.

However, if the baby boomer is a parent to a millennial, they may have learned to text.

The point is that every individual has their preferred communications style. If you want to be heard and be understood, you need to adapt your communications to the listener.

How do I know your preferred communications style? I need to ask!

You can make certain assumptions about an individual’s preferred workplace communications style based on their generation, but you still need to ask them.

Workplace communications should be a give and take where everyone adapts to everyone. If you want to get ahead in your career, you need to be understood. To be understood, you need to understand the listener’s workplace communications style.

What is your preferred communications style? What is your boss’s and team’s preferred communications style?

Has this mixture of workplace communications styles caused friction in your workplace?

This post is part of a weekly series on the Personal Branding Blog.

You can read the original post on the Personal Branding Blog.

Marc Miller  

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Diversity in the Workplace – A Different Perspective

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Diversity in the Workplace

DiversityThere is more diversity in the workplace now than ever before. I am going to approach diversity from a different perspective.

I have been discussing in this series, the workplace today is multi-generational. We are diverse in a variety of ways:

How We Communicate

Think about it. If you are 65 years of age, you grew up doing the following:

  • Learned to write cursive.
  • Created an outline before you would write a paper
  • Typed that paper on a typewriter
  • Used a phone to call home, and it was probably a pay phone
  • When you called long distance on the phone, you were aware of the time

If you are 21 years of age:

  • You may not be able to read cursive much less write it
  • Outline? What is an outline? You start writing and rearrange as you go along
  • Everything you write is entered electronically
  • What is a pay phone?
  • What is long distance calling?

These are the two extremes, but these changes have occurred in the last 10-15 years. For example, when I traveled in 2001 on business I had:

  • A laptop computer with an analog modem to download my e-mail
  • A cell phone with roaming charges
  • A long distance calling card

The way we communicate in the workplace has become extremely diverse.

How We Learn

Again think about it. If you are 65 years of age you grew up:

  • In a school where you listened to a teacher instruct
  • You did higher level math on a slide rule
  • You did most projects on your own
  • The library was the place to do all of your research
  • You memorized a lot of the information to be able to do well on a test

In contrast, if you are 21 years of age you grew up:

  • Learning in groups
  • Taking online courses
  • Using a calculator from the time you entered school
  • Doing research on the Internet
  • Memorization?? Why memorize information when it is readily available on your smartphone?

Again, these are the two extremes, but much of the diversity in the way we learn and acquire information has occurred in the last 15 years!

Group and Family Dynamics

Again, think about it. If you are 65 years of age you grew up:

  • To be a strong individual
  • If you are a man, to be the primary income provider
  • If you are a woman, you were expected to marry and raise a family
  • You were never to share personal information like how much you were making
  • To go to work for a company that would take care of you

In contrast, if you are 21 years of age you who grew up:

  • To be a good team player
  • If you are man, you hope to find a partner who can contribute equally
  • If you are a woman, you can reach for the heavens when it comes to a career
  • Everything is available on the Internet. You want to know what I make? Sure…
  • To work for yourself doing something that will have a positive impact

Again, these are the extremes, but there is tremendous diversity in how we function in groups.

Cultural Diversity

If you are 65 years of age, when you entered the workplace in the mid 1960s, it was probably pretty segregated.

I was talking to a client the other day who works for a major technology company in Silicon Valley. He said that his department was made up of employees where everyone was foreign born. Everything from Russia, Hungary, Cuba, China, India… Most had been in this country for many years, and most were now citizens. If you were 21 years of age and entered the workplace today, what would be your expectations?

How would this kind of diversity affect how you approached your career?

Even though we have labeled each generation, it was to discuss the differences that exist today in the workplace. The key to making such a diverse workplace functional is to discuss our many differences.

This is the end of the series. If you have not read any of the preceding posts, now is good time to catch up–> Multi-Generational Workplace Series.

In the next couple of months, look for a white paper on the Multi-Generational Workplace.

Marc Miller  

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