July - August 2001  

The Multi-Generational Workforce: Can You Foretell How You'll Fare in the Changing Economy by Your Age?

by Robert Bellinger

Which engineers will fare best in today's volatile economy: older, younger or middle-aged? Today's engineering teams feature four distinct generations of workers. Each group has special advantages for dealing with workplace and economic downturns, according to David Stillman, co-author of a soon-to-be-published book titled, When Generations Collide...at Work (HarperCollins, January 2002).

Stillman breaks our workforce into these basic groups:

• Gen Xers: Stillman describes these 20+ to "mid-30-somethings" as "survivalists" and entrepreneurs.

• Baby Boomers: These engineers in their late 30s to early 50s represent more than 80 million workers, and many occupy higher-level management positions.

• Traditionalists: This group describes those in their mid- to late 50s and above. These professionals display a strong work ethic and place a high priority on job security.

• Millennials: These up-and-comers are in their teens and early 20s and rival the Baby Boomers in sheer numbers, but have never experienced the sharp economic downturns their older colleagues have lived and worked through.

"There is no magic age at which you become a member of a generation," says Stillman. "It's more a matter of shared experience. Music, prosperity, war and economics bind people into a generation more than mere age groups."

Gen Xers: The Picture of Endurance

Many Gen Xers like Stillman, a 1991 graduate, finished college amid a recession and struggled to find jobs. Subsequently, this group has learned to be "extremely skeptical" about institutional promises of job security, government help and corporate stability, Stillman says. They have lived through mergers, acquisitions, and layoffs. Gen Xers believe in "career security," rather than job security; they build their skills sets with each job so they can be ready to move on when necessary. They also have proven to be among our most prolific entrepreneurs. Gen Xers are the champions of both our volatile dot.com companies and our more stable Silicon Valley startups. In Stillman's opinion, in terms of skills and attitude, Gen Xers are best suited to endure any turn in the economy.

Baby Boomers: Safety in Numbers

Baby Boomers may find a recession leaving them short of funds (they've been late to save money), and lagging in the latest hands-on skills (some rely too heavily on IT personnel to solve technical problems). Many hold vulnerable mid- and high-level management positions; in past recessions, these highest-paid job holders got the ax quickly when companies had to lower costs.

But Baby Boomers represent a significant portion of the engineering workforce. Replacing them after a recession would amount to a huge and costly task for companies, and there simply are not enough Gen Xers or others to fill the gap.

Traditionalists: More to Offer Than Technical Skill

As the oldest group, traditionalists are beginning to filter out of the workforce already; chronologically, so an economic slump may nudge some toward retirement. But Stillman warns companies that traditionalists are their most loyal workers and possess the best collective work ethic. It would be foolish, he says, for companies to let their older workers slip away without making some attempt to offer such transitional packages as flex time, or retraining and keeping them on board longer, since they have much more to offer than technical skill alone.

Millennials: They Want to Be Seen and Heard

Millennials are only now entering the engineering workforce. Despite their youth, Stillman says, many expect to participate in major decision making early on. Because many Millennials come from broken homes or have lived with two working parents, they're used to being part of such major family decisions as recommending car purchases and deciding on vacations; they expect to be able to contribute to decisions on the job as well. In addition, because of their familiarity with the Internet, Millennials have had access to information their older counterparts never enjoyed as youngsters. Older engineering managers need to avoid "talking down" to these future engineers. They also need to be prepared to explain not only "how" the company does what it does, but "why" it does it that way.

Regardless of which group characterizes you best, all engineers can enrich their job experiences and overall career satisfaction by watching and listening to their colleagues, regardless of age. We all have a lot to share — and much to learn.

For more information, go to www.generations.com.

Robert Bellinger, Managing Editor of IEEE-USA News & Views, is a freelance editor based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.