Comments on: Gen X, Gen Y, and Boomers in the Workplace: Exclusive Panel Tells All

By: Cynicalforareason

Cynicalforareason — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:33:21 +0000

As a Gen X’er I took the time to read EVERYONE’S point of view and carefully consider the merits of each BEFORE forming my opinion. As a result, I can attest that it’s no coincidence the Boomer Generation is the most verbose. Probably because they have the most free time to sit and stew about these things. What they fail to realize is that a 60-70 hour workweek is – thanks to technology – no longer required or necessary. Just because they’re willing to sacrifice their quality of life and their relationships with friends, family and most importantly their children, does not in any way translate into Gen X or Gen Y being willing to do the same. We must continually strive to achieve the happy medium between work productivity while maintaining a healthy life on all levels outside of work. Boomers appear to be content to make sacrifices all in the pursuit of their careers…let us not forget who the Yuppies were during the 80s when the rest of us were struggling to figure out how to make a living when we left high school. Let us also not forget who drove us into that painfully long recession during the 80s…the Boomers and their parents, The Silent Generation. In my view, the Boomers are the new dinosaur and should perhaps also become extinct.

By: BoomerBizEvents.com

BoomerBizEvents.com — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:57:29 +0000

For the very reasons all three generations interviewed mentioned as seeing things differently and getting work done differently in the business world, we started doing Business Networking Events Exclusively for Baby Boomers. As well as the fact that so many Baby Boomers are being forced out of the mainstream workplace by layoffs and early retirement packages at age 50, to make way for their younger counterparts at half the Boomer’s salary, a support network with other Boomers was needed to get them back on their feet, sometimes in a new career direction and then to assist them in making new business contacts.

By: dave carlson

dave carlson — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:43:13 +0000

Seeing more lately about these generations.

I see a reoccurring thing, gen-x and gen-y cannot straight up compete with the boomers.

Businesses that have “re-tooled” towards a fun work environment can’t get over the problem that it’s the boomers that are the only ones that can get anything properly built.

In software for instance, the “R” word is the highest cost, (Rewrite is the R word).

X’ers and Y’ers may seem to be quick to put up a software screen. Screens are fast logic behind the screen is where the real work is. X’ers and Y’ers have a big problem with that; because it requires design and planning that you can’t Google for. I’ve seen this time and time again.

Btw the boomers are not as skilled as the generation before them who had to work harder with more archaic tools that required even more planning.

By: Otto von Mismark

Otto von Mismark — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:21:51 +0000

My own experience (as a “not-boomer” and “not-X” – I was born in 1963 and may parents weren’t WWII vets – nor Korea) is that Gen-Yers need to be taught how to dress professionally. Open-toed shoes, particularly sandals convey dirty feet, especially on men. Ties look good, too, wear ‘em! The Gen-Xers are smart, fast and insatiably greedy. They make up for their laziness in revenue; they’re the best project managers and the worst for actually doing the work – i.e., smart but lazy generals. Boomers, well, they’ve “been there” and “done that” in the 1970s and 1980s and now they’re the ones in charge of things – that is to say, making money. They generally do not care how their employees look as long as they make money.

By: David Adams

David Adams — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:08:14 +0000

The best comparison that I have come across alluding to the difference between generation X and generation Y is that between dogs and cats: Dogs think: s/he feeds me, s/he houses me, s/he loves me – s/he must be G-d. Cats think: s/he feeds me, s/he houses me, s/he loves me – I must be G-d. [Vistage Chair, UK and Boomer]

By: Charlie Boss

Charlie Boss — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:25:40 +0000

This is a really fascinating look in to the way different generations in the workplace view their careers and each other. If you would like to read a little more on the subject, British recruitment consultancy FreshMinds Talent did a big research project into intergenerational attitudes towards work which you can read here http://shared.freshminds.co.uk/work_2_0.pdf. One of the most interesting things to come out of the survey and follow up focus groups was exactly the point this article makes – that the different generations aren’t all that different. Yes, they want different things, but partly that’s just because they’re different ages. Generation Y will shape the future of the global workforce, and we should acknowledge their differences. But we should also embrace and celebrate the common ground.

We’re taking about these issues all the time on our blog, so read more at http://blogs.freshminds.co.uk/talent/.