TOPICS
TOPICS
Researchers downplay generational differences
Editor's Note: The full version of this article appears in the July 1 issue of Government Executive. To read the full story click here.
If you've thought about the federal workforce at all in the past eight years, you know, as singer and songwriter Sam Cooke sang, "A change is gonna come."
As baby boomers reach retirement age, the federal government could lose up to 60 percent of its workforce during the next decade. To replace those employees, it will hire new -- and mostly younger -- workers who've grown up with technology and communicate in ways that often mystify their elders. As a result, Uncle Sam is facing an exodus and an influx of different generations who must learn how to speak each other's language.
As the government scrambles to figure out how to attract and retain the next crop of employees, some agencies and private recruiting companies have begun to develop research-based models combining science and anecdotal evidence that claim to explain the motives and personality characteristics of Generation Y, also known as millennials.
A few of those models suggest that 20-somethings don't have much in common with their older colleagues. But other research indicates that some of those value differences might not exist, and that reinforcing negative stereotypes only drives a wedge between generations, giving tomorrow's leaders a distorted view of public service. That philosophy, embraced in particular by two young Energy Department employees doing generational research, focuses on teaching members of the federal workforce that regardless of age, they're probably more alike than they realize.
"Overall, people want their leaders to be credible, trusted, listen well, farsighted and encouraging," says Jennifer J. Deal, an author and research scientist at the nonprofit Center for Creative Leadership. Deal surveyed 3,200 public and private sector employees on what they want in a job, an employer and life in general. She found that across generations, respondents listed the same top 10 values.
"People mostly want the same things," she says.
COMMENTS
- There is never a generational difference in fed employment. Those that seek it have been the same since the cave man. They want security, no accountability are adverse to risk, and like the idea of not being creative just give them a manual and let it make all the decisions dan m ketter Posted July 14, 2008 11:43 AM
- Entirely disagree with the idea that retiring federal workforce 60 somethings will be replaced by 20 or 30 somethings. The vast majority of those retiring will be back filled by deputies or other senior staff officers that may 5 or 10 years their junior. It certainly will not be a generational shift. Randal Campbell Posted July 10, 2008 10:33 AM
- While my training and experience does support the use of analysis in the study of demographics, many of the assumptions shown herein span all generations and the generational gap; and merely reflect the perspective of the person looking and commenting. A few examples just found in this article are: "This generation, quite frankly, scares me to death." That statement has been heard through out recorded history; one instance has supposedly been attributed to Plato. “they're a group of self-centered, shiftless [sic] men and women” Think of this statement from the other side… In the GovExec comments, I’ve often heard this spoken by Gen Y’ers about boomers in reference to entitlements and work ethics; particularly as they relate to performance pay systems. “described the younger workforce as disrespectful, unfocused, entitled and overly dependent on their parents to make decisions for them.” Now, I have to say this sounds blatantly prejudicial! May I ask how these federal attendees could possibly know the Gen Y’ers are overly dependent on their parents? I mean … have they observed the young workers being assigned work and running immediately to phone home? “Those negative labels Charnock applies to 75 percent of the 20-something workforce - clueless, aimless and directionless - reflect widespread stereotypes of younger workers based on anecdotal experiences” I’ve found that the word “anecdotal” is a big seemingly innocuous word used to hide its true meaning; untrustworthy, subjective, and unreliable as applies to the conclusions/data. I would question the effectiveness of trying to build a psychological profile of an entire generation to use in workforce planning if I came home with such subjective findings. John Crum hit the nail on the head. The differences are not when each group was born or how they grew up, but at what stage of development each currently is. The old OFTEN think like this of the young. As for grand expectations, every generation has those. Our education system is designed to graduate students who think the sky’s the limit; and while that is a good thing; the crashing reality is that everyone must put in their time and effort. Still, that isn’t life’s worse lesson. As for the student loan repayment, to agree to repay new hires’ debt but not internals trying to get ahead IS JUST PLAIN WRONG! Tip off Posted July 9, 2008 1:48 PM
