Each generation of workers has its own characteristics, values, and attitudes towards work, based on its generation’ s life experiences. To integrate these diverse generations successfully into the workplace, companies will need to embrace radical changes in recruitment and benefits, and create a corporate culture that demonstrates respect and inclusion for its multigenerational workforce.

Those born between 1925 and 1946 are often known as the Silents( also the Seniors or the Matures); then we have the Baby Boomers, comprising those born roughly between 1946 and 1964; the Generation Xers, born between 1965 and 1980; and the Generation Yers or Millennials, born after 1980. Let’ s look at each generation individually.

• The Silents are considered among the most loyal workers. They are highly dedicated and the most risk averse. The Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war boom years shaped their values. Silents possess a strong commitment to teamwork and collaboration, and have a high regard for developing interpersonal communications skills. Silents now consist of the most affluent elderly population in developed countries, as a result of their willingness to conserve and save after having recovered from the financial impact of the post-war era.

• The Baby Boomers are the first generation to declare a higher priority for work over personal life. They generally distrust authority and large systems. Their values were shaped primarily by a rise in civil rights. They are more optimistic and open to change than the prior generation, but they are also responsible for the“ Me Generation” with its pursuit of personal gratification, which often shows up as a sense of entitlement in today’ s workforce.

• The Generation Xers are often considered the‘ slacker’ generation. They naturally question authority figures and are responsible for creating the work / life balance concept. This generation of workers possesses strong technical skills and is more independent than the prior generations. It has been said that Generation X is the most ignored, misunderstood, and disheartened generation.

Generation Xers won’ t do things because they have a deep sense of mission, or loyalty to an organisation. They have nothing but disdain for corporate politics and bureaucracy and don’ t trust any institution. They grew up watching their parents turn into workaholics, only to be downsized and restructured out of their chosen careers. They believe work is something you do to have a life and work doesn’ t define their life.

Xers have no expectation of job security, so they tend to see every job as temporary and every company as a stepping stone to something better— or at least to something else. They have been accused of not wanting to pay their dues.

Because they won’ t put in long hours working at what they mostly term‘ dead end’ jobs, they have been called slackers. However, Xers will work hard for a job that they believe in, for something that challenges them. What motivates them is a focus on relationships over achievement and is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness.

They don’ t want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in, do the work, and move on to the next thing. Xers don’ t want‘ over your shoulder, in your face’ managers who check what they’ re doing. These workers are not used to being closely supervised and are good at working on their own.

On the other hand, members of Generation X seem to crave time with their bosses and can never get enough feedback on their performance. Because of their short attention span, recognition and rewards must arrive quickly. As Generation Xers place a lower priority on work, many company leaders from the Baby Boomer

Millennials will comprise most of the workforce by 2025.

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US Census Bureau