Page 83 - Retaining Top Employees

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Know Your Demographics 71

Effective Tools for Retaining Gen-Xers

For any organization more than a couple of years old, providing
for the needs of Boomers is less of a cultural shock than provid-
ing for the wave of Gen-Xers hitting the workplace. With 1963
as the arbitrary beginning of Generation X, many of that gener-
ation are now approaching their late 30s—time enough for
many of them already to have emerged as top employees.
Indeed, in some industries (fashion, some areas of entertain-
ment, sports) they already
dominate. The next 20 It Works the
years will see them move Other Way, Too
into controlling positions If you work for a Gen X
everywhere. How must organization,don’t think you’re exempt
your organization change from demographic troubles! It’s just as
important for the Gen X organization
to accommodate that
to understand the Boomer mindset as
shift?
the other way around. Even if you’re
Work Environment never going to employ a Boomer
(highly unlikely),your advisors,cus-
In contrast with Boomers,
tomers and clients,suppliers,investors,
Gen-Xers require their and industry opinion-formers probably
work environment to be are largely Boomers.You need to
much more an expression understand their mindset in order for
of them—their individuality, your Gen X top performers to be able
their attitudes, their inter- to interact with them positively and
effectively.
ests and passions. Working
in an environment that dic-
tates an expression of the organization’s values and achieve-
ments is much less motivating for Gen-Xers than for Boomers.
Despite an apparent “couldn’t care less” attitude to material
things, Gen-Xers have a highly developed need to express
themselves in the way they dress, the way they decorate their
workspace, and the way they structure their day. Conversely,
they have a less pronounced need for overt expressions of sta-
tus: a Gen X top performer will often be happier hot-desking in
a highly personalized open office space than occupying a cor-
ner office that feels soulless to him. To adapt for the oncoming