Silent Generation / Traditionalists (born before 1946)

Silent Generation / Traditionalists (born before 1946)

Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events

• Grew up during the • 55 million • Behaviors are based on • Loyal to employers • Great Depression
Great Depression • Majority are retirees experiences from the and expect the same • WWII
and WWII Depression in return

• Either fought in • Largest voting • Want to feel needed • Possess superb • The Cold War
WWII or were population • Strive for financial security interpersonal skills
children • McCarthyism
• Enjoy flexible
• Behaviors are based • “Waste not want not” arrangements so • Started the Civil
on experiences they can work on Rights Movement
during the attitude their own schedule
Depression and • Conformity • Children were
WWII • Conservatism • Believe promotions, “seen, but not
• Traditional family values raises, and heard”
recognition should
• Wealthiest • Strive for comfort come from job
generation • Demand quality tenure
• Simplicity
• Men typically • Measure work ethic
worked while • Understands the nobility of on timeliness,
women stayed home sacrifice for the common productivity, and not
to raise children good drawing attention

• Has largest lobbyist • Patriotic
group, AARP • Patience
• Team players

Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html; http://merrillassociates.com/

Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964)

Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events

• Grew up during the • 76 million • Run local, state, and • Work ethic is • Assassinations of
Civil Rights national governments measured in hours JFK, Robert
Movement and the • Makes up 28% of worked Kennedy, and
Cold War Americans • Largest workforce Martin Luther King,
• Less importance Jr.
• Born during a spike in • Believe rules should be placed on
child births after obeyed unless they are productivity • Cold War
WWII contrary to what they want;
then they’re to be broken • Teamwork is critical • Walk on the Moon
• Created the term to success
“workaholic” • Experimental • Vietnam War
• Individualism • Relationship building
• The largest is important • Protests and Sit-Ins
generation • Social cause oriented
• Expect loyalty from • Civil Rights,
• Single largest • Free spirited those they work Women’s, and
economic group with Environmental
• Can be less optimistic, Movements
• Sometimes referred cynical, and distrust
to today as “Empty government • Watergate
Nesters”

• Want products and services • Nixon Resignation
that show their success • Self-discovery

Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html;http://merrillassociates.com/;
http://www.escapehomes.com/articles/Baby_Boomers_Statistics_on_Empty_Nests_and_Retirement.htm

Generation X / Busters (1965-1980)

Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events

• Defined as “slackers” • 50 million • Quest for emotional security • Casual, friendly work • AIDS
environment • End of Cold War
• They have the “carpe • Single parent • Independent • Vietnam
• Very self-reliant • Involvement • Watergate
diem” attitude families
• Informality • Flexibility and
• First generation to freedom
develop ease and • Entrepreneurial
comfort with • A place to learn • Nixon resignation
technology • Expect immediate and
ongoing feedback and is
• “X” described the lack comfortable giving feedback • Work smarter, not • Computers
of identity that to others harder • Grunge/Hip-Hop
members of • Vietnam
Generation X felt, not • Reject rules • Want open • MTV
sure where they • Mistrust institutions communication • Challenger
belonged • Believe friends do not equal regardless of
position, title, or explosion
• Experienced more family tenure • Fall of Berlin Wall
divorces than any • Reaganomics
other generation • “Latchkey” kids • Value control of their
time
• Had to learn to fend • Multi-taskers
for themselves • Suspicious of Boomer values • Look for a person to
whom they can
• Value family time invest loyalty, not a
company

Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html; http://merrillassociates.com/; http://apps.americanbar.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt08044.html

Generation Y / Millennials (born 1981-1994)

Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events

• Grew up with • 80 million • Ambitious yet clueless • Searches for the • Oklahoma City
technology- • Optimistic individual who will bombing
computers, cell • More ethnically • Patriotic help them achieve
phones, internet, and racially diverse • Impatient their goals • Rise of the
etc. than older • Entrepreneurial Internet
generations • Want open,
• Also known as the • Individualistic yet group- constant • O.J. Simpson trial
“Entitlement” oriented communication and
generation positive • Death of Princess
• Want to be like peers but reinforcement from Diana
• Boomer and late X’er with a unique twist their boss
parents raised them • CDs/DVDs
to be sheltered and • Very informal
to constantly build • Busy • Search for job that • Columbine
Millennials’ self- • Short attention span shootings
esteem provides great,
• Acknowledge and admire • Y2K
• Plagued with high some authorities personal fulfillment
levels of student • Want to be close to • Terrorism
debt • More culturally and racially
tolerant their peers • Swine flu- 1988
• Want leadership
• Second largest • Acceptant of change
generation to be • Un-trusting of “the man” from bosses and
entering the
workforce under the • Achievement-oriented supervisors
Boomers • Financially savvy • Look for
• Want instant gratification
• “Everybody wins!” opportunities to

learn

• Work to live, rather
than living to work

Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html; http://merrillassociates.com/; http://apps.americanbar.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt08044.html;
http://www.rosettathurman.com/2010/; http://pewsocialtrends.org/

Generation Z / Digital Natives (born after 1994)

Who? Population Characteristics At Work Historic Events

• Also known as • 23 million and • Highly connected to the use • Very collaborative • 9/11 attacks - 2011
Generation M, Net growing of communications and creative
Generation, Internet • Great Recession
Generation • Like Instant Gratification • Will have to solve - 2008 to present
the worst
• Grown up with • Thrive on acceleration and environmental, • Terrorism - these
world, wide, web. next, next, next social and economic individuals do not
(Became available problems in history remember a time
after 1991) • Independent people, lacking without war
a community- oriented • Will not be team
• Born during minor nature due to social media players • Swine Flu outbreak
fertility boom around - 2009
US Global Financial • Are very open book with • Will be more self-
Crisis little concern to privacy and directed • Hurricane Katrina
personal information. Except - 2005
• The children of for when it comes to money • Will process
Generation X information at • iPod - 2001
• Thrive on small bits of lightning speed
information. Think in terms • Facebook – 2004
of status’s and Twitter • Will be smarter
language

• Under a lot of pressure to
succeed

Sources: http://www.marstoncomm.com/matures.html; http://merrillassociates.com/; http://apps.americanbar.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt08044.html;

http://www.rosettathurman.com/2010/; http://pewsocialtrends.org/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Z