Generation X’ers in the Workplace

• Generation X’ers (1965-1976)

• 35% are non-white and 29% are legal immigrants
• Most educated as compared to the preceding generations
• Independent
• Highest number of divorced parents
• Dual-income families

Self-sufficient (e.g., took care of chores and other responsibilities after school and before parents returned home from work)

• Realists
• Informal
• Result Oriented
• Intolerant of bureaucracy
• Heroes
  • Not really influenced by any real heroes
• Defining Events
  • Collapse of Communism
  • Missing kids on milk cartons
  • Computers in classroom
  • Recession (1980s)
  • Persian Gulf War
  • Rodney King incident
  • The Challenger disaster

   

Gen X’ers have been shaped by the experiences such as the emergence of music videos, open classrooms inflation, single-parent and/or blended families, latchkey lifestyle, space shuttle explosion, open classrooms, widespread political corruption, inflation and recession, and post-Vietnam national malaise. They were at the start of the video game era, cable TV, Walkman’s, and the internet.

This generation saw their workaholic Boomer parents lose their jobs in the tough times of the 1980s. Gen X’ers are less committed to one employer as a result of watching their parents’ commitment to employers end up in a layoff. They are eager to learn new skills and appreciate employers investing in their development. They do not lean towards the workaholic approach, but rather a work hard/play hard balance in their life.

Excerpt from “10 Answer Keys, Communicating with the 5 Generations in the Workplace”