Generational differences play a role in influencing workplace dynamics through employee behavior. The considerations of the various generations as explained by Bahoo (2012) help in designing elements of work culture and developing ways of motivating employees. By very definition, a generation is a cohort characterized by sharing birth years, location, and significant life events at critical developmental stages, (Bahoo, 2012). Generation X and Y are examples of generations currently involved in the workplace. Generation X references individuals born in the 1960s to 1970s sometimes referred to as the slack generation. Some of the characteristics of generation x include having parents engaged in employment during their childhood. This resulted in them growing up in a dynamic changing environment with their parents not being around often to guide them through. The ripple effect is the apparent deficiency in traditional and sense of social norms that the generation has, (Diamond, 2007). Generation Y on another hand is the millennial generation, and it describes a group of individuals born from the 1980s to 2000s who are confident, high in esteem, and highly educated. The reference in ‘Y’ comes from ‘why’ pending that millennials enjoy knowing the reasons for the various tasks they undertake. With the advantage of being fast learners, millennials pride in working in a fast-paced environment and often enjoy adapting to the situation that releases them from their comfort zone. From a performance management perspective, both generations have different approaches to work culture, justifying the necessity to motivate them in different ways.
Each generation is unique as it experiences certain events that shape their perspective. For example, generation Y witnesses various catastrophic events such as Oklahoma bombing, September 11 attack, not to mention the increase in subsequent attacks in school such as the Columbine High School shooting, (Diamond, 2007). With such dynamics in place, generation Y is affected by a sense of skepticism and constantly being in the loop to avoid experiencing the adverse effects of an event. The unique nature of each generation is such that it affects workplace attitude with generation X employees having a strong work ethic while boasting in having a sense of flexibility following their commitment to family. Generation Y employees on another hand, enjoy working in a competitive wok environment. While Generation X employees thrive on working autonomously on projects, generation Y employees prefer teamwork. They equally pride in having a reliable source of guidance in meeting the organization’s objectives, (Diamond, 2007).
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From an analytical standpoint of subsequent research, generation Y employees help the company during difficult times, (Dorsey, 2009). The idea behind this is that millennials thrive in working in challenges environments to the extent that they become the critical source of support. During this time, the provision of feedback, mainly positive feedback helps the employees navigate through the process seamlessly and work towards the achievement of stipulated objectives. Additionally, as part of enthusiastic desire to learn, Generation Y employees enjoy bringing in new skills and innovative ideas that support business growth. In comparison to Generation X employees, they find change and challenging times unpleasant which explains why some of them cave in due to pressure.
In constructing a motivating work environment, having a flexible work environment is essential for generation Y employees. Most corporations such as Google design the workplace in a way that favors and promotes creativity. According to Fernades, Hydes, Ives et.al (2012), millennials value an environment that makes the work fun and creates an environment that favors innovation. The work environment equally needs to provide millennials with the opportunity to grow and develop pending that they thrive in challenges and providing solutions to organizations. As a motivating factor, by capitalizing on the incentive theory, granting the employees’ considerable vacations and work that is flexible helps them become more productive in carrying out their tasks.
The justification for motivating generation Y employees’ stems from the fact that generation X and Y have different workplace attitudes. Millenials pride in identifying themselves by their activities outside their career. This follows that they seek to identify with the role assigned to them as opposed to the organization, for example, one may describe themselves as a research analyst at a brokerage firm as opposed to saying I work for this company. The role a millennial employee takes on is important which is why when managing millennials, it is crucial to outline the roles and responsibilities required. An advantage of this over Generation X is that millennials specialize in the task assigned to them contributing to an increase in productivity. Most Generation X employees as explained by Kapoor & Solomon (2011), seldom identify with their role as the focus centers on being seen as opposed to getting things done, explaining the ‘slack’ generation reference.
Another need for the difference in motivation centers on the apparent differences in workflow. Millenials believe in quality without having to quantify the time put into it pending that they are confident in their ability to work beyond the office. With millennials having a comprehensive understanding in using technology, they can complete tasks more efficiently by providing invaluable technologically based resources to promote work productivity. In motivating them, capitalizing on the competitive spirit they display is important. For example, by having competitions within the workplace among each other, millennials get motivated and exert all their efforts to prove their competency. In an IT firm, having employees involved in web development competing against each other for a prize is a sure way of motivating them.
A useful way of motivating millennials in the workplace is through continual learning. The learning provides employees with the opportunity to grow and gather relevant skills in the process. Through learning, they receive feedback from their supervisors making them more productive in the workplace. Generation X employees on another hand, operate on the assumption that they have subsequent knowledge for the role. This leaves employees unenthusiastic about training opportunities within the organization, which is relevant for organizational success. Organizations then have a responsibility to ensure that they provide an environment that encourages training which helps build generation Y employees in becoming the best they can be.
In creating a motivating work environment, having an environment that promotes a work-life balance plays a major role in keeping millennials motivated, (Bell, 2008). Most millennials emphasize on the importance of establishing a balance between work and life. By incorporating a sense of flexibility in carrying out tasks, employees can find a right balance between work and their social life, which is important for millennials. Most millennials enjoy taking up more than one task, in most instances, they are involved in more than one job explaining their need for flexibility in the work environment. Creating such an environment is a form of extrinsic reward, which most employees need to fulfill their potential and achieve tasks given, (Bahoo, 2012). It also keeps them motivated, as they do not fear missing having time with family and time to develop themselves by either furthering their education or taking up new projects. In this sense, a worrying concern for employers is that the flexibility of the work environment predisposes millennials to take up other jobs and opportunities outside the workplace, which carries the potential to influence their current roles.
A credible and reliable form of motivation for generation Y employees is through utilizing opportunities to foster warm relationships with other employees. Millenials thrive in an environment where they feel accepted through the appreciation of their roles (Calvart, 2010). They equally succeed in an environment where they receive admiration, with the idea of making a difference encouraging them. Through the warm relationships, employees can grow and build each other up.
Despite having different generational groups in the work environment, what is important is fostering a sense of unity following that there is unity in diversity. Each generation has certain stereotypes attached to them that may not be true. For example, Generation Y individuals get the description of being entitled while actually not all of them are. In managing all employees, in as much there is a need to compensate generation Y employees differently; there still needs to be an encompassing sense of unity in the organization. Motivation has and always will play an integral role in improving employee performance and productivity.
References
Bahoo, Tahseen. (2012). Motivating and Rewarding Generation Y Employees Print.
Bell,E.E.(2008). Multigenerational Workplace Performance: Generational Similarities and Differences in Employee Perception of the Work Environment. Pro Quest.
Calvert, N. (2010). Why Understanding Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y holds the key to smart 21st Century Customer Service Leadership. Calcom Group.
Diamond, Paul. (2012). Understanding Generation X and Y Employees Web Retrieved from www.casagrandepress.com/sample/understanding-generation-x-and-y-employees.pdf/ on 27 Aug 2015
Dorsey, J. R. (2009). Y-Size Your Business How Gen Y Employees can save You Money and Grow Your Business . New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons
Fernades, Hydes, Ives et al. (2012). A Comparative Study of work, values between generation X and Y . Print.
Kapoor, C., & Solomon, N. (2011). Understanding and managing generational differences in the workplace : Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes , 3 (4), 308-318.
