The Generation Gap Challenges IT Managers - ' Times they are a'
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The gap is widening, with more workers stacked at both ends of the age spectrum. There are approximately 80 million Baby Boomers, those born roughly between the years of 1946 and 1964, and 70 million in Generation Y, born 1978 through the present, but only 60 million in the middle in Generation X, those born 1965 to 1977.
That creates a cultural divide, as workers of different ages will generally hold different views of technology use and adoption.
While Baby Boomers are known to have a preference for face-to-face communication, Generation X workers are more adept with Web- and e-mail-based communication, and Generation Y workers prefer the sharp, no-frills IM approach to communicating, barely using the phone or e-mail except when required.
The oldest generation also has a preference for on-site work while the middle generation values independence more, as well as work/life balance; the youngest group strongly values work/life balance, and often prefers to work remotely and on teams.
Baby Boomers are also best-known for staying with a single employer for a long period of time and working their way to the top, while those in Generation X are more willing to challenge authority and leave a job that does not satisfy them. Members of Generation Y have almost no expectation of having the same career for life, and are most likely to expect their employers to change to accommodate them and not vice versa.
"Younger people get frustrated by the way things are done, yet their managers are most often in that older category," says Lily Mok, research director in Gartner's Executive Programs research organization. "How you make your needs known and work with these more experienced employees is a big concern."
But others warn about overgeneralizing about generational differences. "Not all Baby Boomers are hardworking go-getters and not all the young folks are lazy or ambitious. I just don't buy it. I have seen multiple examples to the contrary," Murphy says. "But, like all stereotypes, there's a grain of truth as well. The folks that are Boomers now grew up before DVDs and MP3s and CDs. So despite that caveat, there are undeniable differences in their experiences with technology."
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