Generation X, representing those born between 1961 and 1975, is now heading up countries and companies. Although President Obama garners most of the attention as the most talked about and watched Generation X’er, there is now enough Gen X’ers making their mark in the workplace to discern personalities, management styles and workplace preferences. Tammy Erickson, organization and talent management expert, provides a valuable profile of the Gen Xer in her book What’s Next, Gen X?. Her analysis is a useful tool for tuning recruiters in to the mindset of Generation X.
Skilled in Change Management - In her Harvard Business Review blog, Erickson describes Gen X as “options thinkers.” Watching their parents ill prepared to adapt to global booms and busts, she argues that this generation is resilient and comes with a “portfolio of multiple possibilities” to deal with change in the workplace.
Work-life Balance – Casualties of the Me generation and the overworked executive, Gen X is strongly committed to family and making lots of time for children. This potential worker will highly value a workplace that provides work-life balance.
Flexible Work Options – With baby boomers extending retirement, Erickson notes that Gen X is more open to entrepreneurial opportunities. Gen X’ers, schooled in the realities of today’s workplace, are prepared to take on contract jobs, also known as the portfolio career. Accordingly, a Kelly Services survey found Gen X’ers to be less loyal to companies than other generations.
How can Gen X’ers fit into your organizational structure? Erickson notes that Obama has Gen X in operational roles but baby boomers in advisory roles.
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Interesting blog, Vitaver. Almost no actual experts anywhere have said that Obama is part of Generation X. By contrast, a long list of prominent experts have said that Obama is part of Generation Jones. Google Generation Jones, and you’ll see it’s gotten a ton of media attention; in fact, the Associated Press’ annual Trend Report chose the Rise of Generation Jones as the #1 trend of 2009. Many top commentators from many top publications and networks (Washington Post, Time magazine, NBC, Newsweek, ABC, etc.) specifically refer to Obama as part of Generation Jones. Here is a 5 minute YouTube video with over 20 influential pundits talking about Obama as a GenJoneser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ta_Du5K0jk
It is important to distinguish between the post-WWII demographic boom in births vs. the cultural generations born during that era. Generations are a function of the common formative experiences of its members, not the fertility rates of its parents. Many experts now believe it breaks down more or less this way:
DEMOGRAPHIC boom in babies: 1946-1964
Baby Boom GENERATION: 1942-1953
Generation Jones: 1954-1965
Generation X: 1966-1978
Here is an op-ed in USA TODAY about Obama as the first GenJones President:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090127/column27_st.art.htm
Here’s a page with a good overview of recent media interest in GenJones, with many media references to Obama as a GenJoneser:
http://generationjones.com/2009latest.html
As long as this is not another ‘entitled’ generation, that will be great. Many out of college show some or all of the following funny tendencies: they believe they own the world, that the world has some kind of debt with them, that they should be paid just for showing up to work, they are not interested in learning from the people who have real-world expertise as opposed to just school learnings. Yes, this may be a negative view, a prejudice but it is unfortunately cemented on numerous experiences in dealing with recent college graduates. Somehow they want the rewards without putting up the effort.
Actually makes a lot of sense that next generation turns out to be very different from the parent one.
As for my opinion technologies are developing very quickly all over the world.
And next generation is developing with the technologies. Can’t imagine how will generation look like in 2100?
Thanks for keeping great posts!