1) What factors shaped your perspective most when you were growing up?
Across all age groups, the critical factors that most shaped respondents’ perspectives were (in descending order):
- Influence of parents and family
- Influence of friends and peers
- Religion and church experiences
- Influence of teachers
- Managers and supervisors
2) What entices you to join an organization?
Across all age groups, the most important features were (in descending order):
- Mission, Values, Ethics
- Pay and Benefit Package
- Challenge and Interesting Work
- Opportunity for Career Development
3) What compels you to stay with an organization?
Across all age groups, the most compelling factors were:
- Challenge (the work itself: interest and variety)
- Being treated with respect by managers and coworkers
- Ethical organization
Baby Boomers and Radio Babies: Recognition and Making a Contribution
Generation X and Y: Work-Life Balance and Pay/Benefit Structure
4) What characteristics of other generations in the workplace bother you the most?
Generation X and Y (what bothers them about older generations):
- Too rigid and unwilling to change old habits
- They reminisce too much about "the old days"
- Expect everyone to "pay their dues" in years, not expertise
Baby Boomers and Radio Babies (what bothers them about younger generations):
- Poor work ethic (coming in on time; doing quality work)
- No sense of customer service -"too self centered"-"it’s all about me"
- Expect too much without earning it: sense of entitlement
5) What do you want other generations to know and understand about your age group, in order to dispel common misperceptions?
Generation Y and Generation X want to dispel these perceptions:
- We aren’t serious if we’re not dressed in a suit or if we want to laugh sometimes
- We don’t have a work ethic just because we want time with our family
- We can’t contribute if we don’t have years behind us
- We’re job hoppers just for the excitement of moving around (we’d stay in one place if companies offered jobs/benefits/pay we need)
Baby Boomers and Radio Babies want to Generations X and Y to know:
- Teamwork is necessary to do a quality job; you can’t always be a star
- Older workers are open to change and willing to be flexible
- We’re willing to stay with a company through good AND bad times
- Experience and savvy come usually with years, not a college degree
- You can’t always get what you want
If you have questions or comments on this survey we’d love to hear from you! You can contact us at info@strategichrinc.com.
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