Generation Grid
The grid below briefly details the differences of the generations you “typically” find in an organization today. Granted, some zealous members of the pre-Boomer generation (Silent Generation) are still kicking butt at their job, however most have moved onto a well-deserved retirement. And if you are employing Generation Z (born 2002 - present) you will likely face some sort of Kathy Lee Gifford child labor issues, and rightfully so! The grid is meant to provide a general shared understanding of the current generations in the workforce.
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Baby Boomers |
Generation X |
Generation Y
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Birth Years |
1943-1964
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1965-1981 |
1982-2002
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Numbers |
77 million
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50 million |
80 million plus |
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Nicknames / Alias |
- Me Generation - Generation Jones - War babies
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- GenXers - Baby Busters - Slackers
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- Millennials - Echo Boomers - iGeneration
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Stereotype / Traits |
- Overly-status conscious - “Do as I say, not as I do” - Change-resistant - Pay your dues
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- Entitlement - Lazy - Have fun at work - Work smarter, not harder - Value family time
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- Hold hands / teamwork-focused - Now – for everything! - No trust for “The Man” - Very informal - Everybody Wins! |
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Events / Themes |
- Communism fear / bomb shelters - Vietnam War - Suburbia - Levittown
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- Latchkey kids - Divorce rate increase - End of Cold War - Grunge / Hip Hop - AIDS |
- 9/11 - Terrorism - Tsunami - Global Warming - Acceptance of individuality and differences |