PROFESSIONALS’ FEELINGS ABOUT THE MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE
How easy or difficult professionals find it to work with colleagues from different generations:
GENERATION
| TOTAL* | Baby Boomers (1946-1964)** | Generation X (1965-1977)** | Generation Y (1978-1989)** | Generation Z (1990-1999)** | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very easy | 40% | 41% | 37% | 43% | 31% | |
| Somewhat easy | 49% | 46% | 52% | 50% | 51% | |
| Somewhat difficult | 9% | 11% | 10% | 7% | 18% | |
| Very difficult | 1% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 0% |
*Total does not equal 100 percent due to rounding
**Birth years for each generation
Professionals reported what surprised them about working with colleagues from different generations:
GENERATION
| Responses from Baby Boomers |
| “How well they learn from more experienced employees” |
| “They have different motivational factors (and) want more challenging work” |
| “They tend to listen to those who have more experience than them” |
| Responses from Generation X |
| “The different approaches to work – it varies greatly” |
| “They are very kind and treat me like family.” |
| “How similar we all are” |
| Responses from Generation Y |
| “(They’re) fun to be around.” |
| “It’s hard because they organize information differently than I do” |
| “I like learning from their experience” |
| Responses from Generation Z |
| “The way they relate and communicate with me” |
| “Their willingness to help me understand and work better together as a team” |
| “We have more in common than initially thought” |
Source: Robert Half Management Resources survey of more than 1,000 workers in the United States
© 2018 Robert Half Management Resources. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
