Shifting demographics in the workplace are forcing businesses and employees of all ages to adapt.
America's working population crosses four generational boundaries, as older people work longer because they can or must and a new crop of young employees want more choices.
The Generations
There are not hard and fast rules for what constitutes each generation, and Pew Research Center calls the boundaries fuzzy, arbitrary and culture driven.
Below are the years Pew uses to define each group and what age people are this year:
• The Millennial Generation — 1981 to 1997, 18-34
• Generation X — 1965-1980, 35-50
• The Baby Boom Generation — 1946-1964, 51-69
• The Silent Generation — 1928-1945, 70-87
• The Greatest Generation — before 1928, 88-100
Source: Pew Research Center
Coming Up
What: Aging with Wit and Wisdom
When: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. June 11
Where: Room 409, University of Arkansas Global Campus, 2 E. Center St., Fayetteville
Who: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Instructor: Judith Tavano, director of professional development programs for the University of Arkansas’ Global Campus
Cost: $46; $31 for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members
Information and registration: olli.uark.edu or 479-575-4545
"It's a paradigm shift. Millennials are changing the game," said Cameron Smith, owner and founder of executive recruitment firm Cameron Smith & Associates in Rogers.
There is no official definition for what age range makes up the Millennial Generation, but but Pew Research Center uses the years 1981 to 1997.
Smith said young workers like to ask why: Why do we have to work eight hours a day? Why do we have to work 40 hours a week? Why do we have to do computer work at the office?
Business leaders ask Smith how to attract and retain the best employees, and he said flexibility is key for many Millennials. He said the recruitment business gives him a front-row seat to how workplaces are changing.
"They are changing the game, and why not?" he said of Millennials. "If we want to be relevant, we have to listen to this generation."
Listening to one another is vital to success when dealing with multi-generational workplaces, said Angela Belford, CEO of digital marketing and website development agency The Belford Group.
"The most important thing is a willingness to learn," she said.
Partnering workers from different ages can encourage them to learn from on another, she said. The younger worker can learn things such as phone and communication skills while teaching the older person technology tips.
Smith agreed blending the generations is key in the paradigm shift, and it's important people listen to one another.
"I've hired Millennials, and I listen to them. They have a different perspective," he said. "They bring some crazy ideas, but I'm open to them."
This is the year Millennnials will outnumber Baby Boomers, reaching 75.3 million people, according to the Pew Research Center estimates. The center estimates the Boomer population, those born from 1946 to 1964, will be 74.9 million this year.
Millennnials are expected to account for about half of the workforce by 2020 and 75 percent by 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
AARP reports that last year nearly one-third of the U.S. workforce was age 50 or older, and 80 percent of Boomers expect to work at least part time in their so-called retirement years.
Smith said people working later into their lives is creating job shortages for the younger generation, pushing many to seek out further education.
"This is the most educated generation of our time ever, but they are also the most underemployed and unemployed generation we've had in a long time as well," he said. "There are just not enough professional jobs for them."
Judith Tavano, director of professional development programs for the University of Arkansas' Global Campus, said older workers often find themselves underemployed.
"Continuing education is the new face lift," she said. "They can keep learning in many areas from social technology to communication."
The Global Campus teachers professional development and computer training classes at sites in Fayetteville and Rogers. It also offers online classes. Professional organizations also provide educational opportunities and guidance, Tavano said.
Tavano is teaching a class through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arkansas on June 11 titled Aging with Wit and Wisdom. Seminar topics include becoming active with your professional associations, networking, staying abreast of new skills and technology, being involved in social media and keeping up with changing global trends.
Martha Londagin, training and marketing coordinator for the Small Business Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas, said education is key to people of any age to achieve and maintain success at work. The center teaches classes from creating a business plan and financial statements to marketing and website design.
The most popular seminar is on social media, she said.
"Social media is our modern coffee shop," Londagin said.
She teaches the class every other month across the area to groups ranging from 10 to 45 people. Many people know about social media sites, such as Facebook and YouTube, but don't understand how to use them for their businesses.
Belford said LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking service, is important to keep people connected with one another.
She was a presenter Thursday at the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce's Northwest Arkansas LeaderCon/Tomorrows Leaders Business Conference. She shared six principles to successfully manage generations:
• Start the conversation about generations -- don't pass judgment
• Ask people about their preferences -- don't assume your preferences are the same as others
• Offer options -- be flexible with start time, end time, long weekends
• Personalize your style -- learn about others
• Build on strengths -- encourage people to be more of who they are
• Pursue different perspectives -- go beyond tolerance to acceptance.
"You have to have conversations with one another, have a great attitude and be willing to change," Belford said. "With mutual respect you can have success."
NW News on 04/05/2015