Survey: More Older Workers Reporting to Younger Bosses

CareerBuilder has released the results of a survey showing that four out of ten workers over the age of 35 are working for a younger boss. Looking more closely at the numbers, 53% of workers ages 45 and up said they have a boss younger than them, followed by 69% of workers ages 55 and up.

Looking at the challenges posed by the mixing of the generations, CareerBuilder reports that 16% of workers ages 25-34 said they find it difficult to take direction from a boss younger than them, while 13% of workers ages 35-44 said the same. However, only 7% of workers ages 45-54 and 5 percent of workers ages 55 and up indicated they had difficulty taking direction from a younger boss. Among the reasons why working for someone younger than them can be a challenge, those surveyed indicated that, among other things, They act like they know more than me when they don’t, they act like they’re entitled and didn’t earn their position, and they play favorites with younger workers.

"As companies emerge from this recession, it is important for employees to work together and move the business forward, regardless of their age," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "With so many different age groups present, challenges can arise. Younger and older workers both need to recognize the value that each group brings to the table. By looking past their differences and focusing on their strengths, workers of any age can mutually benefit from those around them, creating a more cohesive workplace."

Source: CareerBuilder Press Release (February 17, 2010)

Conference Board Job Satisfaction Survey Finds Older Workers as Dissatisfied as Others

The Conference Board's report on job satisfaction suggests that Americans of all ages and income brackets continue to grow increasingly unhappy at work. However, the Board noted that the extreme dissatisfaction of younger workers could bode ill for multi-generational workforces:

"These numbers do not bode well given the multi-generational dynamics of the labor force," says Linda Barrington, managing director, Human Capital, The Conference Board. "The newest federal statistics show that baby boomers will compose a quarter of the U.S. workforce in eight years, and since 1987 we’ve watched them increasingly losing faith in the workplace." Twenty years ago, some 60 percent of that generation was satisfied with their jobs. Today, that figure is roughly 46 percent. Barrington adds: "The growing dissatisfaction across and between generations is important to address because it can directly impact the quality of multi-generational knowledge transfer-which is increasingly critical to effective workplace functioning."

Interestingly, even if older workers might seem more satisfied, that may be masking some other issues. As one response wrote:

Older workers who are in the age group typically most satisfied with their jobs, aren’t. They stay because the value of their investments and 401(k)s have fallen so far they can’t afford to retire; they have fewer options due to age, and are less likely to relocate for work.

Source: Conference Board News Release (January 5, 2010)

Other Reactions: John Zappe ere.net Blog Poat (January 19, 2010)

Study: Generational Differences at Work More Matter of Perception than Reality

Differences among the generations in the workplace--Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y--are more about perception than reality, with each viewing other generations more harshly than they view their own. However, according to a Conference Board of Canada study, the generations are more alike than they realize.

The report--Winning the Generation Wars: Making the Most of Generational Differences and Similarities in the Workplace--is based on a literature review as well as a survey of over 900 workers. According to the report, negative stereotypes of the three generations include:

• Boomers are seen as less comfortable with technology, less open to change, and less accepting of diversity than other generations;
• Generation X workers are seen as cynical, independent, and easily annoyed by any hint of being micro-managed; and
• Generation Y workers are seen by older colleagues as lazy, difficult to manage, and perpetually prepared to bolt from the organization as soon as another opportunity arises.

Tim Krywulak, Senior Research Associate, said that “This research shows each generation includes workers with similar personality types, workplace motivations, and social behaviours. Workers from all three generations want respect, flexibility, fairness, and the opportunity to do interesting and rewarding work.” Employers should manage the differences in perceptions among the generations while recognizing the cross-generational similarities in workplace preferences, by, among other things:

• implementing programs, policies and practices that respond to the cross-generational desires for respect, flexibility and fairness in the workplace;
• building a culture of inclusion to address the negative stereotypes about the generations in the workplace; and
• learning from effective practices used by other organizations.

Source: Conference Board of Canada News Release (November 16, 2009)

Study: Younger Workers Hurt More by Recession; Older Workers Show Resilience

According to a study published by Boston College's Sloan Center on Aging & Work, younger workers are bearing the brunt of the current economic crisis, while older employees show greater resiliency in a recession-battered workplace where employers seek to do more with less. Specifically, in "The difference a downturn can make: Assessing the Early Effects of the Economic Crisis on the Employment Experiences of Workers", while researchers found employees of all ages reporting a drop in employee engagement (a measure of how invested and enthusiastic employees are in their work),

Workers among "Generation Y" – ages 26 and younger – report the greatest decrease in engagement. Those slightly older workers in "Generation X" – ages 27 to 42 – reported less of a decrease, while Baby Boomers and older "Traditionalists" – ages 43 or older – reported that their levels of engagement hardly changed at all.

Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, director of the Center, suggests that "[s]ome older workers have been through recessions before and that gives them experiential resilience." Furthermore, she comments that "[s]avvy employers will leverage older workers' experience to help younger workers manage through turbulence," and "hat sense of resilience can help organizations remain energized and passionate."

Source: Sloan Center on Aging & Work Stages (June 2009)

Europe: First European Day on Solidarity between Generations

The European Commission declared April 29 the first "European Day on Solidarity between Generations." In conjunction with that, various events took place throughout Europe.

"Over the coming years, the first baby-boomers will be starting to retire. This marks the beginning of a fundamental shift in the balance between retirees and people of working age. We have to make sure that ageing will not undermine solidarity between generations", said Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.

Among other things:

• a conference on "Intergenerational Solidarity for Cohesive and Sustainable Societies" was organized by the Slovene Presidency in Brdo, seeking "to reinforce social links between generations as well as to initiate a shift in policy-making to promote greater solidarity between generations."
• the results of a Flash Eurobarometer on "Intergenerational Solidarity" was released. It showed considerable disparity in views about the generations among older and younger people. With respect to working, 56% of Europeans believe that as people work to an older age, fewer jobs will be available to younger workers.
• Eurofound launched a special website which brings together its recent findings, data and recommendations on issues related to the employment of older people, and active ageing issues, and the solidarity between generations.

Source: European Commission "Intergenerational solidarity: key to responding to demographic ageing" (April 28, 2009)

United Kingdom: How Age Diversity Can Help Business during Downturn

Nicola Brewer, the Chief Executive of the United Kingdom's Equality and Human Rights Commission, said that employers who retain the skills and experience of older workers will be better placed to emerge from the recession. Speaking at a one-day conference organized by the Commission and the Age and Employment Network on "Age Diversity in the Downturn," she lso argued that the economic downturn should not be used as an excuse to justify redundancy on the grounds of age.

"We already have more people in the UK over state pension age than under 16, and, within 15 years, a third of the workforce will be over 50. Embracing the skills of older workers should be a top priority--unless we are prepared to miss out on a third of the available talent pool."

Her words were echoed by The Commission's Policy Director Alan Christie, Policy Director at the Commission, who said "We must stop stereotyping and worrying about how many candles a worker has on their next birthday cake, instead of looking at what they can offer. It's important to recognise that flexibility can help business weather the difficult times and prepare for the recovery, by attracting and retaining vital talent and skills, including older workers."

Source: Equality and Human Rights Commission News Release (March 20, 2009)

Survey: Older Workers Have Healthier Diet, Exercise More

A survey conducted by ComPsych Corporation found that 52.2% of workers in their 60s have healthy diets, compared to only 17.7% of employees in their 30s. In addition, employees in their 50s and 60s fared better in level of exercise, outlook on life, social support and stress levels.

Specifically, 27.3% of employees in their 50s exercised more than four days a week, while 19.6% of 30-something workers did so, 82.6$ of workers in their 60s had a very positive outlook on life, compared to 46% of employees in their 30s, and 30.4% of employees in their 60s had high stress levels, while 64.7% of 30-somethings had high stress.

"Our survey showed employees in their 30s were remarkably inactive," said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych....

"Workers in their 30s may be at peak productivity but also at greatest risk for neglecting their health and developing long-term health problems due to poor lifestyle choices," he added. "Corporate wellness programs should be especially attentive to the needs and issues of this age group."

Source: ComPsych Press Release (August 25, 2008)

Survey: Generational Issues Surface among Workplace Fears of Older Baby Boom Workers

According to a study based on in-depth interviews with 50 over-50 workers, fear of redundancy (layoffs, firings), relevance (keeping skills current), and resentment from younger associates are the greatest concerns for the Baby Boom generation. The research on "Ageism: Managing on the Bias" was conducted by Age Lessons.

Laurel Kennedy, president of Age Lessons, summarized key findings, "Older workers believe that younger associates drop them from critical informal communications networks, turning the office grapevine into a sour grapevine and blocking access to important political and business developments." Another key finding was defined as senior shutout, where companies inadvertently close-off career paths and training opportunities to mature workers, assuming that they either are uninterested or unwilling to accept a new challenge."

Kennedy suggested a number of fixes that companies can implement to maximize workplace morale, inlcuding:

• awareness training during on-boarding about generational differences, office and meeting etiquette;
• adopting age-neutral hiring and educational policies that look at the candidate pool irrespective of age;
• forming intergenerational work teams to ensure cross-pollination across age cohorts; and
• extending continuing and professional educational opportunities to older workers.

Source: Age Lessons Press Release (August 21, 2008)

Survey: Crossgenerational Interaction Rare in the Workplace

Ranstad USA has released its annual look at the workplace and, among other things, reports that the different generations in the multigenerational workforces--Gen Y, Gen X, Baby Boomers, and Matures--have different definitions of experience, sharing and no consistent way to understand what each other has to offer. In its survey of 3,494 adults, 2008 World at Work shows that 51$ of the Boomers and 66% of the older "Matures" report little to no interaction with their younger colleagues.

Among the learnings shared by Ranstad:

• The transfer of knowledge between retiring generations of veteran workers and newer entrants to the workforce is unlikely.
• Perceptions of co-workers, particularly those in Gen Y, are based largely in stereotypes.
• Each generation sees itself as bringing different strengths to the workplace that don’t enhance or expand the strengths of those older or younger.

Source: Reuters Life!"Workers of different ages don't chat enough: survey" (May 21, 2008)

Survey: Older Workers Score Highest on Employee Engagement

A study conducted by Sirota Survey Intelligence of cross-generational attitudes of more than 300,000 workers in over 50 organizations shows relatively small differences among the generations regarding their attitudes toward work and their engagement in their jobs, with those 63 and older showing the highest levels of engagement. Specifically, employees of the "Traditionalist" generation reported an 84% employee engagement level, while the engagement levels of the other groups were within a relatively narrow range of 77-80%: Baby Boomers (aged 43 to 62) 77%, Generation X (aged 28 to 42) 78%, and Generation Y (aged 27 and younger) 80%.

According to Douglas Klein, President of Sirota Survey Intelligence, the Traditionalists may be an overlooked resource for employers:

“They consistently have higher employee engagement levels than other employees with comparable tenure.” For example, Traditionalists with between 2-5 years tenure have an engagement level of 85% – 10 percentage points higher than that for Generation Y and Baby Boomers (75%), and 9 percentage points higher than that for Generation X (76%).

“With more people living healthy, active lifestyles, and so many Traditionalists uncertain whether they will have the financial resources to enable them to retire, they may want to stay in the workforce longer. Employers may want to consider part-time and/or flexible work arrangements to keep more of these loyal, enthusiastic workers onboard,” Klein added.

Source: Sirota Survey Intelligence Press Release (March 31, 2008)

Survey: Generational Divide on Worker Attitudes Towards Web 2.0 and Technology Devices

According to a Symantec survey conducted by Applied Research-West to measure IT risk issues surrounding the emerging millennial workforce within companies, millennial workers (those born after 1980) have differing attitudes regarding the use and adoption of technology in the work environment, when compared to their older colleagues. Among other things, they access Web 2.0 applications much more frequently at work than other workers, are much less likely to stick to company-issued devices or software, and are far more likely to store corporate data on personal devices regularly.

Source: Symantec Weblog "Millennial Workforce: IT Risk or Benefit?" (March 18, 2008); Wall St. Journal Business & Technology "Young People Spark a Tech Culture Clash" (March 24, 2008)

Boston College Center on Aging & Work Launches States Initiative, Multigenerational Focus

According to an article in the Boston College Chronicle, the Boston College Center on Aging & Work is launching a State Perspectives Institute that will collaborate with states on promoting the aging public sector workforce as a potential economic asset. Among other things, the Institute will "gather information and work with state leaders to raise awareness of the benefits of a multigenerational workforce in the 21st century."

One of the goals of the Initiative is to release of a series of profiles on the multigenerational workforce for all 50 states produced in partnership with Experience Wave. These profiles are supposed to provide statistical synopses in areas such as age distribution, labor force participation, industry sector employment, and workforce education and preparedness.

Another project of the Initiative will be States as Employers-of-Choice, a collaboration between the Center and the Twiga Foundation, Inc. of Boise, Idaho, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The project’s goal is "to increase awareness of the aging public sector workforce as well as provide assessment of the readiness of states" to be employers of choice and to develop practice tools.

Source: Boston College Chronicle (February 28, 2008)

Research: Generational Differences in Perceptions of Older Workers

According to a new paper published by the Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston College, older workers are very positive about themselves and the company they work for, but are more likely to perceive that younger workers are given preference in training and development opportunities.

Authored by Jacquelyn B. James, Ph.D., Jennifer E. Swanberg, Ph.D., and Sharon P. McKechnie, Ph.D., the research underlying the paper--"Generational Differences in Perceptions of Older Workers’ Capabilities"--focused on two questions: (1) How do Traditionalist Generation workers rate themselves in comparison to how Baby Boom workers, and Generation X and Y workers rate them on 11 characteristics deemed to be important qualifications for continued work in later life? (2) If employees perceive their workplace environment to be less likely to offer opportunities for training and promotion for older workers, what effect does this have on their own well-being, and on their commitment to the organization?

With respect to the first question, responses for six of the characteristics varied with age. Specifically, responses were significantly more negative with each successive generation, from Traditionalists to Generation Y for the ability of older workers to serve as mentors, seeing older workers as reliable, deeming them to be more productive than younger workers, seeing them as adaptable to new technology, eager for training, and flexible. With respect to the second question, employees from the three older generations who perceived equal promotion opportunities for older workers were all significantly higher in employee engagement than those who did not, but for generation Y, workers reported significantly lower levels of employee engagement when they perceived workers over 55 had the same opportunities for promotion as younger workers.

Managers have a complex balancing act to meet the expectations and needs of a multi-generational ρρworkforce. Many employees in the older generations still want and need training, development, and recognition for their work in terms of promotion. However, employees from the youngest generation can become discouraged if they see all the opportunities and promotions going to workers from the older generations. Determining which staff will be developed and promoted will have to be based on some transparent standard not related to age or generation. This issue is one that managers will need to handle carefully to ensure retention and engagement from employees of all generations.

Source: Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility Issue Brief No. 12 (November 2007)

Survey: Younger and Older Workers Appreciate Diversity of Age in the Workplace

A survey of older and younger employees in the United Kingdom shows that working in a mixed aged workforce is important for both older (66%) and younger (65%) workers with all recognizing the benefits of working with people of mixed ages. In the study commissioned by Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, 40% of older workers believe their younger colleagues teach them skills they previously did not have, while one third of younger workers believe older workers are more likely to work anti-social hours than colleagues their own age.

Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive, Jobcentre Plus commented: "The research shows that having the right balance of age and skills can bring numerous benefits to establishing a complete workforce for both employers and employees. Both older and younger workers appreciate and learn from the qualities each brings to the workplace."

Among other findings in the study:

• Younger workers think their older colleagues bring experience (94%), reliability (66%), and understanding (63%);
• two thirds of older workers are impressed by their younger co-workers ability to learn quickly, be flexible (61%), and give them energy (51%); and
• Younger workers stated that their older colleagues were more likely to be left in charge (60%), while over half of older workers believe their younger colleagues to be more likely to take risks, with 16% commenting that they are also more likely to be given manual tasks.

Source: JobCentre Plus News Release (Sepbember 26, 2007

Related Stories: Globe and Mail "Young, old and in-between: an we all get along?" by Jim Grey September 28, 2007

AJCJobs.com "Younger boss, older worker: Cooperation, communication can overcome age differences" by Karl W. Ritzler September 28, 2007

Survey: Ageism Isn't Only About Old People

According to a online poll sponsored by Age Lessons (conducted online by Harris Interactive, plus follow-up interviews by Age Lessons), younger workers [36% of 18-34 year olds] are more likely to say they experienced age discrimination than older, 35+ workers [24%]. Significantly, 93% of respondents said they had “witnessed or experienced” ageism and were hesitant to report it for reasons including a perceived inability to change the status quo, fear of being labeled a problem or getting targeted for future layoffs.

“Ageism isn't about old people, it's about all people. To avoid a ‘war of the ages' in the workplace, companies need to address generational diversity across the age spectrum and develop strategies for leveraging the richness and value-add of a diverse workforce,” noted Laurel Kennedy, Age Lessons president.

Among other findings, younger workers told interviewers that older workers seemed to be “kicked to the curb” at a disproportionately high rate during layoffs. This led them to wonder out loud about how loyalty was being repaid by employers.

Source: Age Lessons Press Release (September 5, 2007)

Recognizing Four Stages of Age in the Wokplace for the Multigenerational Workforce

According to a new paper published by the Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston College, in response to the age demographics of the 21st century workforce, employers have started to consider how age diversity can offer both opportunities as well as challenges to “getting the work done well.”

Authored by Center Directors Drs. Michael A. Smyer and Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, "The 21st Century Multi-Generational Workplace," the paper suggests that there are four different ways to look at age in the workplace and each can prompt different responses:

• Age: "Using the perspective of chronological age helps employers to answer the questions, 'How does typical adult development affect the performance of young adult employees, employees at mid-life, and older employees?'”
• Generation: "Looking at age from the perspective of generation can be a helpful, short-hand way to factor-in historical events or culture that may have a long-lasting impact on a specific age cohort."
• Life Course: This "perspective focuses attention on individuals’ 'personal histories' in the context of the wider social-historical-cultural context."
• Career Stage: Not all employees experience careers as a steady upward progression, so that employers can "engage employees in conversations about the next opportunities appropriate for their careers-–regardless of the employee’s age."

In conclusion, Smyer and Pitt-Catsouphes offer this advice to employers:

The effective management of a multi-generational talent pool requires that employers are able to adjust their thinking so that they can make appropriate use of the four paradigms of age . . . . Each of these helps employers to ask different questions and to think about different strategies for harnessing the experiences of all their employees.

Source: Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility
Issue Brief No. 9 (June 2007)

United Kingdom: Tesco Issues Phrase Guide so Older Employees Can Understand Younger Workers

According to news reports, Tesco is issuing employees over retirement age with a phrasebook listing more than 30 of the most common phrases used by teenagers so that older workers to help them understand and communicate with their younger colleagues.

For example, for older workers "getting caned" means receiving six of the best in the headmaster's study and "rank" is one of the few things told to the enemy, along with one's name and number. However, the phrasebook points out that rather than a beating, "caned" means doing something to excess, and "rank" means disgusting or horrible.

Source: The Daily Mail "'That's phat, brotha! Innit?' Tesco issues guide to teenage slang for its older staff" (May 31, 2007)

Overcoming Intergenerational Differences in the Workplace

Writing in Jugglezine about how the generations are going at over work protocols, Matt Viland notes that while the employees of today's workforce--who range in age from under 21 to over 65--can bring a variety of perspectives together, bridging generational differences can be quite a challenge. Under the previous paradigm, young folks held entry level jobs and old folks did the managing. Now, as a result of orporate mergers and downsizing, workforces have redistributed and hierarchies have changed--"Older folks, laid off from previous jobs, began seeking entry level positions after switching careers. Younger folks, considerably cheaper than their elders, rose to the top. The result: a generational melting pot."

Viland points to workplace communication as perhaps being the most obvious difference among the generations. Cam Marston, president of Marston Communications, points out that older employees prefer face-to-face contact, while younger generations embrace less personal options such as e-mail, text messages, and instant messenger. Other differences can be found in work style:

Traditionalists and Baby Boomers, for instance, are accustomed to a workday that revolves around the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gen Xers and Millenials, on the other hand, might take three or four hours of personal time in the middle of the day, but log on from home after dinner and put in the hours they missed.

According to Viland, the first step to overcoming these differences (and others, such as language) is to raise awareness about the things that make each age group unique. This can be done by incorporating age sensitivity into more comprehensive diversity training efforts. Another way to overcome the gap between generations is to embrace it by adopting programs such as reverse mentoring, through which younger employees coach older ones on technological innovations.

Source: Jugglezine "Mixing it Up" (January 10, 2007)

Generational Differences: Younger Workers Desire New Technologies

At the Federal Computer Week’s Government CIO Summit in San Diego, agencies were told that, as the federal government reaches out to young workers, they will have to adopt new technologies, such as instant messaging, and recognize their innovative uses in the workplace. As Matthew Weigelt writes, the "government’s workforce is aging and the majority is nearing retirement age," and in the years since they arrived in public service, technologies have progressed rapidly.

Cora Carmody, SAIC's executive chief information officer, said young employees often are taking a technological step backward when entering the workplace. They expect to find wireless devices in businesses, when some companies may not have them.

As another speaker said, agencies must consider how to make the most of those new technologies. "As the workforce grows younger, the employees will come in with the expectatiom of having familiar tools available." This is a very powerful statement and should serve as a wake-up call to those living in the dark ages, refusing to believe that even micro niches such as mortgages has modern agencies such as Motley Fool Mortgages nowadays.

Source: Federal Computer Week "Young workforce will affect technology in workplace" (November 7, 2006)