Should managers be worried about generational differences?

November 15, 2024

Swimming in the ocean of ink that makes the discourse on generational differences, one might believe they are a fact of life. But is that what the evidence says? The purpose of this article is to discuss generational differences in the workplace, and to review some dangers to look out for when interpreting statistics in general.

The Pew Research Center defines western generations as being born in the following years (abridged list): [1]

Generation Z (gen-z): 1997 – 2012
Millennials: 1981 – 1996
Generation X (gen-x): 1965 – 1980
Baby boomers (boomers): 1946 – 1964

Firstly, many claims made for generations of all years rely on subjective opinions. High profile individuals like Jodie Foster and Whoopie Goldberg garnered controversy for criticising the work attitudes of their younger colleagues. [2] Subjective claims are made that boomers are motivated by factors like company loyalty, whereas millennials are motivated by the quality of their manager. [3,4] It is not a crime to express opinions, but naturally they should take second place to what the evidence says.

A second issue relates to the evidence of generational traits. Some putative evidential sources use statistics but only in isolation, failing to contrast whether evidence of the same trait exists for other generations. For example, claims that millennials are more focused than other generations on work-life balance shown by a high desire for flexible work schedules. [5] But the absence of similar statistics for other generations raises a question about whether the observed trait is truly a generational divide. Recent changes, like the spread of remote working during and after the pandemic or the internet allowing a wider discussion on working conditions, may have caused all generations – not only millennials – to shift their expectations of flexible working.

Thirdly, sources which do contrast statistics may confuse age groups with generations. Age groups and generations are similar, but not identical concepts. One article concludes that gen-z is keener to switch jobs, citing statistics such as twice as many 20–24-year-olds than 30–34-year-olds have a job tenure of under three months. [6] But younger employees are typically less well paid, or less rooted by career, location, family, etc. relative to older groups. So, they may have more incentive to job hop. Therefore, the danger of this conclusion is that workers may behave this way simply because of their age. Perhaps gen-z will change as it ages, and other generations have behaved similarly when they were the age that gen-z is now. US data on the median tenures by age group over the last forty years suggests this is true; the tenures of 20-24 year olds are near-unchanged from 1.5 years in 1983 to 1.4 years in 2024. [7]

Fourthly, statistics can be used to answer the wrong question. One article, reflecting complaints by managers that younger workers are relatively keener to call in sick, cites statistics showing that the number of 18–24-year-olds who are not working due to sickness has nearly doubled since 2010. But this is a shaky comparison. Young people fully out of work (as opposed to being on temporary leave) will include those who are gravely ill. Grave illness is presumably not related to membership in one’s generation. Furthermore, this is a missed opportunity to explore any socioeconomic factors beyond generations which might cause so many to leave the workforce. [6]

A fifth issue is that sources contrasting generations, arguably identify only minor differences. For example, the CIPD researched values held by different generations by asking them to rate their agreement to statements like “I get a sense of purpose from my work” and “I’m paid fairly [relative to my peers]” [8] The largest differences between generations are about 10%, with most differences being closer to 5%.

To further undermine generational differences, the report found, when asking the same questions, that there are greater differences from country to country than there are between generations.

Note how differences between countries are more pronounced than those between generations.

This is not to suggest that the discourse on generational divides is uniformly subject to the above issues. Some surveys have found much wider gaps between generations [9], including EY’s result that 29% of boomers say culture had little to no impact on their decision to stay with an employer, when 39% of gen-z said it had a great deal of impact. [10] Other sources also express scepticism over generational divides. [11,12]

What does the science say? In 2020 the National Academy of Sciences in Washington DC published a review of the literature on generational differences in the workplace. The NAS review looked at a range of variables, such as personality tests, work satisfaction, manager’s perceptions, etc.

It judged that little could be concluded from that research, which did not account for historical events/trends (e.g., was the effect due to generations or due to the COVID pandemic?), or age (e.g., does everyone act a certain way when they hit age 40 regardless of their generation?). However, the review did identify different research which by tracking attitudes over time supported the above conclusion. Among the attitudes tracked, it found weak effects; for example, “individuals from the same “generation” are just as likely to be different from one another as from individuals of different generations.” [13] Other research has reached similar conclusions. [14,15,16,17]

It probably should be no surprise that generations have questionable predictive power. Definitions of generational divides vary widely with much disagreement on location, context, and even birth years. Beyond academic research, there are compilations of generational complaints ranging from the 1920s to Aristotle in the 4^th century BC saying “They think they know everything, and are always quite sure about it.” [18]

Generational differences, like every stereotype, should be treated with suspicion. Stereotypes can be harmful for both employee and employer. Leaders who falsely believe for example that boomers are stubborn luddites, or gen-z workers are work-shy and entitled, will fail to tap into the full potential of their workforce; by declining to hire, increase their responsibility, or see guidance and mentoring efforts as futile. A further concern is if such stereotypes become part of the corporate culture, they may develop into a self-fulfilling prophesy. As a result, younger workers may lack the confidence to develop and take on more productive roles, or older workers might see themselves as incapable of adapting and learning (despite research indicating this is not true [19]).

If there is so much scepticism about generational differences, why do so many people believe so strongly in them?

As with the face on Mars (pictured below) perhaps our innate ability to detect patterns can cause us to see something which is not there. Someone who struggles with the attitude of a co-worker may point to their generation as an explanation, without stopping to consider how often they struggle with members of their own generation.

This may be compounded by negativity bias, a phenomenon whereby negative experiences weigh far more heavily in the mind than positive ones. [20] E.g., no newspapers are rushing to publish a piece titled “Generation x/y/z are adequate workers”. A personal anecdote represents this in which a colleague was asked why he had so many absurd stories about his subordinates: “I have plenty more co-workers who do quality work on time, have great ideas and are easy to get along with. But that’s not an interesting story.”

Credit: NASA

This article reviews research on generational differences (or lack thereof) at work specifically. That’s not to say there are none. Each generation will be distinguished to a degree by its unique technological, social, and economic experiences. For example, in its use of language, fashion, or relationship to technology. These differences may have value as a curiosity in conversation at the dinner table. But at the boardroom table, its practical value appears much more limited – subordinate to an ability to do the job, regardless of age.

For further information or discussion of this article, or how MM&K can help your business create a management and reward strategy that unleashes the potential of your staff, contact James Sharp.

Sources:

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Should managers be worried about generational differences?

November 15, 2024

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