Understanding and Motivating
Different Generations: Our
Students, Our Employees, Our
Future
Terri Manning
Bobbie Frye
Cheryl Roberts
A Study Funded by the Workforce Development Board
It May Take a Village to Raise
a Child, but it Takes a Society
to Raise a Generation
Economic Conditions
Societal Norms
Political Events
Major Crises
Each Generation
• Consists of approximately a 20-year span (not
all demographers and generation researchers
agree on the exact start/stop dates)
• Has a unique set of values
• Reacts to the generation before them
• Looks at their generation as the standard of
comparison
• Looks at the next generation skeptically “these
kids today…”
• Those born on the “cusp” may have a blended
set of characteristics
• They are either idealistic, reactive, civic or
adaptive
Business Today…
• Lives in a world created
by generations who are
(mostly, 95%) no longer
working.
• They were influenced by the military and
created a workplace reflecting a hierarchy
with a clear chain of command.
• Employees worked hard to receive raises,
bonuses and higher ranks. Higher rank (with
the higher salary) was valued and envied by
employees on their way up and held in high
esteem by those at the top.
How Generational Births Will
Impact Retirements
4,500,000
births
4,300,000
4,100,000
3,900,000
3,700,000
3,500,000
3,300,000
3,100,000
2,900,000
(Millennials)
(Boomers)
(Xers)
2,700,000
19
40
19
52
19
55
19
58
19
61
19
64
19
67
19
70
19
73
19
76
19
79
19
83
19
86
19
89
19
92
19
95
19
98
20
01
20
04
2,500,000
Changes in that Workforce
100.0%
87.9%
85.0%
73.9%
80.0%
White
African American
Other Minority
Male
Female
60.0%
54.0%
40.0%
46.0%
20.0%
11.6%
15.0%
9.8%
0.0%
16.3%
5.0%
1900
2000
Who Is Working Today?
Veterans
Boomers
Gen X
Millennials
1,000 die per day
Youngest are 5 years old
14%
33%
Half the size of the
generations on either side
of them
10%
43%
7,198 turned 60 every day in
2006
Change in American Workers
Let’s Look at the
Generations - One
at a Time
The Veterans Childhood
• Raised by the GI Generation
(civic)
• Large families (3-5 children)
• Strong sense of extended family
(same town or home)
• Grandparents in the home
• Average 10-year-old spent 4-6
hours daily with a significant
adult role model
• Rural society
• Apprenticeship businesses and
farming
• Perception of the world as “safe”
Core Values
Dedication
Hard Work
Conformity
Law and Order
Patience
Delayed Reward
Duty before
Pleasure
Adherence to
Rules
Honor
They remember when smoking wasn’t hazardous to
your health?
Did you ever use one of
these???
The Veteran’s First Computer
The Veterans
• Children of the Great Depression and WWII,
this generation decided not to attack the
institutions created by the generation before
them, but instead, as global thinkers, they
chose to focus on improving and refining
them so that they could be good for
everyone, not just a select few.
• The overall goal was not to change the
system, but to work within it.
• While economically very successful, they were
also the inventors of "the midlife crises"
probably because they didn't get a chance to
enjoy the freedoms of their youth.
The Veterans
Important Events
• Lindbergh Completes
First Transatlantic Flight
• Stock Market Crash
• Depression
• The New Deal
• Social Security
• Pearl Harbor
• The End of WWII
• FDR Dies
• Korean War
Cultural Memorabilia for the
Veterans
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kewpie Dolls
Mickey Mouse
Flash Gordon
Radio
Wheaties
Tarzan
Jukeboxes
Blondie
The Lone Ranger
The McCarthy Era
Veterans - How They Learn
•
•
•
•
New is not necessarily better
Not innovative with new ideas
Like structure, schedules and procedures
Brain processes new ideas into old mental
framework
• Some refuse to work with technology (too
overwhelming a learning curve, others jump in)
• Want clear expectations and guidelines
• Must memorize the basics
School Experiences for Veterans
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hard work
Respected their elders
Children were to be seen and not heard
Felt an obligation to make the grade
Performance based on individual ability
Little feedback unless negative
More intrinsic reward for good performance
Learned from history (other’s experiences)
Small class size, one curriculum for all
No special ed (students no where in sight)
Virtually never tested with standardized tests – less
comparison to others
College Experiences
• Lucky to be there – few able to attend until the GI Bill
then campuses and centers opened all over the country
• Traditional teaching/learning environment
• Associate new learning with previous learning
• Sequencing of knowledge and skills
• Education is a process – must memorize the basics
• Seek to become content experts
• Faculty = “sage on a stage”
• Experience of mentors is relevant
• Take time to really understand material
• Taught by processing through formulas – have to
understand why things work – not that they “just do”
Values of Faculty/Staff in this Age Group
• Loyal to employer (company man) and
expect the same in return
• Believe they should be rewarded for
tenure
• Work ethic = efficiency and hard work
• Stable, thorough and detail oriented
• Don’t buck the system but work within it
• Uncomfortable with conflict and
disagreements
• Not change oriented
Changes in the Workforce
• Veterans have experienced the most
change in their lifetime. They have had
to adapt to:
– Computers
– Communication channels changing
– World getting smaller
– Keeping up with rapid increases in
information
– Move from content to process
Marketing to Veterans
• Faith in the government and national
institutions
• Want quality but believe standard
options are fine (not luxury)
• Loyal customers that follow the rules
The Baby Boomers 1943–1964
(the largest generation, idealist)
• Divorce reached a low in 1960 of 9%
• Families moved due to GI Bill, GI housing
and industrialization
• First generation to live miles from
Core Values
extended family
Optimism
• Family size smaller (2-3 children)
Team Orientation
Personal Gratification
• Few grandparents in the home
Health and Wellness
• Moms stayed home – no daycare
Personal Growth
Youth
• Children spent significant time with
Work
adult role models (mostly mom)
Involvement
• Perception of the world as “safe”
Baby Boomers
Important Events
• Rosa Parks
• First Nuclear Power Plant
• The Civil Rights Act
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• John Glen Orbits the Earth
• Martin Luther King Leads March on Washington, D.C.
• President John F. Kennedy Assassination
• National Organization for Women Founded
• Martin Luther King Assassination
• Robert F. Kennedy Assassination
• Watergate
• Kent State Massacre
• Vietnam War
• Woodstock
Cultural Memorabilia for Baby Boomers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Television
The Ed Sullivan Show
Barbie Dolls
Fallout Shelters
Poodle Skirts
Pop Beads
Slinkies
TV Dinners
Hula Hoops
The Peace Sign
Laugh In
Remember these……
Boomer’s First Computer
Baby-boomer Results
• Very idealistic - banned together and walked
through life with their fists held high
• Generation gap occurred between them and
their parents
• Captured phrases like “why be normal” and
“question authority”
• They weren’t friendly toward authority figures
• Did not get along with their parents and swore
they would not raise their kids like they were
raised
• As adults - work an average of 55 hours per
week
How Boomers Learn
• Want things to fit into the “big picture”
• Want recognition for how well they have
done
• Team oriented, work well in groups
• Like to explore and analyze, look at
different views
• Follow instructions well
• Good with content
Boomer’s Educational Experiences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Overwhelmed the school system, large class sizes
Ability grouped (red birds and blue birds)
Question authority but respect position
See life as an adventure (and school)
Emphasis on team work (cohort education)
Need silence to concentrate
Were told “you are lucky to be here, others are standing in
line to get in.”
• Want to feel valued
• No special ed students in school but honors courses in a few
subjects
• Rarely tested and not for school performance (PSAT, SAT)
College Experiences
• Attending more common – boom in 60’s and 70’s
• College campuses a reflection of turbulent times – faculty
often rebels – Kent State Massacre, etc.
• Emphasis on self-exploration, mind expansion, lots of
philosophizing in classes - content over-explained and overanalyzed – deep thinkers (not necessarily critical thinkers)
• Aspire to intellectualism
• Some career emphasis but still heavy general education and
classics-based
• Left home and never looked back
• Emphasis on memorization and skill built upon skill
• Taught by process and to be content experts
• No technology – print by mimeograph machines
Boomer Faculty/Staff Values
• Majority of faculty and significant number of students
(age 45-66ish)
• Always share personal experience – “what has happened
to me is relevant to you”
• Value stability and respect
• Like to see their successes
• Tend to “workaholism” and have difficulty balancing their
lives, working 40 hours is “slack.”
• Are competitive
• See themselves as the standard of comparison
• Appreciate technology because of how easy it makes
their work – still fear they might “break it” and may have
a “back-up plan”
Boomers at Work
• Ethic = long hours show
commitment
• Team oriented and relationship
builders (don’t like conflict –
can’t we all just get along)
• Not budget minded
• Sensitive to feedback
Marketing to Boomers
• Are individualistic so they like
“customized and custom-made
products”
• Want to look successful (lots of stuff)
• Seek self-improvement
• Products/services that help them reach
a balanced life (work/home)
• Like technology but see the problems
that come with it
The Late Veterans and Early
Boomers Gave Birth to the Next
Generation
• The Gen Xers 1965–1982
• A Lost Generation…
A Nomadic Generation…..
• Half the Size of the Baby
Boom (reactive)
• 41 Million
The Gen X Childhood
• Divorce reached an all-time high
• Single-parent families became the
norm
Core Values
• Latch-key kids were a major issue
Dedication
of the time
Hard Work
• Children not as valued – looked at
Conformity
as a hardship
Law and Order
• Families spread out (miles apart)
Patience
• Family size = 1.7 children (many
Delayed reward
only-children)
Duty before
• Perception of the world as “unsafe”
pleasure
• Average 10 year old spent 14 ½
Adherence to
minutes a day with a significant
adult role model
rules
• Parents looked around and said –
Honor
we need to do this better
Gen X
Important Events
• Women’s Liberation Protests
• Watergate Scandal
• Energy Crisis begins
• Tandy and Apple Market PCs
• Mass Suicide in Jonestown
• Three Mile Island
• US Corporations begin Massive Layoffs
• Iran Hostage Crisis
• John Lennon Shot and Killed
• Ronald Reagan Inaugurated
• Challenger Disaster
• Exxon Valdez Oil Tanker Spill
• HIV
Cultural Memorabilia for Gen X
•
•
•
•
•
The Brady Bunch
Pet Rocks
Platform Shoes
The Simpsons
Evening Soaps (Dallas and
Dynasty)
• ET
• Cabbage Patch Dolls
• Super-hero Cartoons on TV
(He-man)
Remember these…..
Gen X’s First Computer
Was this your first video
game?
Was this your first calculator
and cell phone?
Generation X
• This is the conscientious, extremely
pragmatic, self-sufficient generation that
has a ruthless focus on the bottom-line.
• Born and raised at a time when children
were at the bottom of our social priorities,
Gen Xers learned that they could only count
on one thing - themselves. As a result, they
are very "me" oriented.
• They are not active voters, nor are they
deeply involved in politics in general.
• Parents looked around and said “ we have
to do this better.”
How Gen Xers Learn
• Task oriented – like to learn new skills
• Speed is important
• Self-paced learning, independent
learning
• Want to have fun while they learn
• Informal learning environments are best
• Hate group work
• Want feedback from teacher
Educational Experiences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Learned to rely on self (don’t like group work)
Distrust authority
Seek challenging environment (career education emphasis)
Want feedback on progress
Want to do things their way – like no rules and freedom on
assignments
Had special ed classrooms in school but separated
Had honors programs
Funding cut to education
Testing “mania” began with them
First daycare centers arose with them
Many latch-key kids
College Experiences
• Numbers dropped from 60’s and 70’s
• More emphasis on career education
• Technology began to emerge (Eric Silver Platter,
FAX machines, PCs [Apple and Tandy], calculators)
• More extracurricular activities
• Some self-paced learning
• Costs increased, more financial aid
• More structure and group activity
• Experiential exercises emerged
• Began “learning on my own” due to technology
Gen Xers as Faculty/Staff
• Significant number of faculty and significant number of
students (age 28-44ish)
• Cynical, pessimistic and impatient with poorer people skills
• Want work-life balance
• Think globally and seek independence
• Like technology and want an informal work environment
• Don’t want the boomers’ work ethic
• Communication is important and talk to adults as
friends/peers (not impressed with authority)
• Believe reward should be based on productivity not hours
worked
• Want control of self, time and future
• Loyalty to people not a company
Generation Next (civic)
The Echo Boom/Millennials…
 The Millennials are almost as large as the baby boom-some say
larger - depending on how you measure them (approx. 81M).
 The Millennials are the children born between 1982 and 2002
(peaked in 1990), a cohort called by various names:
Echo Boom
Generation Y
Millennials
Net Generation
Things Began to Change for This
Generation
• Abortion rates peaked in 1980 and began a slow decline.
• Poverty rate for children peaked in 1983 and began a slow
decline (Medicaid began).
• US divorce rate peaked in 1981 and began a decline.
• Homicide rate against children peaked in 1982 and began a
decline.
• They were born into a better world, a more optimistic world
than the generation before them.
Millennials
• This generation is civic-minded, much like the
previous GI Generation.
• They are collectively optimistic, long-term
planners, high achievers with lower rates of
violent crime, teen pregnancy, smoking and
alcohol use than ever before.
• This generation believes that they have the
potential to be great and they probably do.
We are looking to them to provide us with a
new definition of citizenship.
The Millennial Childhood
• The most monumental financial boom in
history.
• Steady income growth through the
1990’s.
• Still great disparity between races.
• Saw their parents lose all their stocks
and mutual funds (college funds) during
the early 2000’s.
Demographic Trends
 The Baby Boomers chose to become older
parents in the 1980s while Gen X moms
reverted back to the earlier birth-age norm,
which meant that two generations were
having babies.
 In 1989, 29 percent of the 4.4 million live
births were to women aged 30 and older.
 Millennials have older largely Baby Boomer
parents: Average age of mothers at birth at an
all time high of 27 in 1997.
Demographic Trends, cont.
 Smaller families: Only
children will comprise
about 10% of the
population.
 More parental education: 1 in 4 has at least
one parent with a college degree.
 Kids born in the late ‘90s are the first in
American history whose mothers are better
educated than their fathers by a small margin.
Demographic Trends – Changing
Diversity
 Increase in Latino immigration Latino women tend to have a
higher fertility rates than nonLatino women.
 Nearly 35% of Millennials are
nonwhite or Latino.
 Twenty percent of this generation
has at least one parent who is an
immigrant.
 Millennials have become the most
racially and ethnically diverse
generation in US History.
Safety Issues
The Safest Generation
• This generation was buckled up
in car seats, wore bike helmets,
elbow and knee pads when skating, and were the
inspiration for “Baby on Board” signs.
The Well-Being of U.S. Teens
• Mortality Rate for US teens aged 15–19 declined from
1960 to 1997.
-Teens are having fewer accidents than Boomers
Millennial School Experiences
• Many private schools, charter schools, magnet schools –
all to meet the needs of the individual child –many, many
choices
• School uniforms, child safety, high performance standards,
character education, cooperative learning and community
service
• Goal oriented – outcome based education (what’s in it for
me)
• School is a means to an end – one must endure until the
next level
• Interactive, participatory and engaging – are consulted by
adults
• Everything 24/7 and available electronically
Millennial School Experiences
• No “grunt work” - must do “meaningful work”,
participate in decisions
• International flavor, celebrate diversity, different is okay
• Motivated by working with bright, motivated and moral
people
• Student makes judgments about truth and believability
of what is taught
• Classroom mainstreamed – multiple levels based on
ability and interest
• Constantly tested and compared to peers (learned to
take tests so now of little use for college admissions)
• Feel pressure for high achievement
How Millennials Learn
• Try it their way – always looking for better, faster
way of doing things
• Prefer graphics before text, reading of excerpts
• Like small and fast processing technology – best
when networked
• Want instant gratification and frequent rewards
(spot)
How Millennials Learn
• Focus on skill development – not
memorization of what they perceive they
don’t need to know
• Productivity is key – not attendance – so
make class worthwhile or they won’t come
• Have different critical thinking skills based on
their high tech world not thought processing
(need help here)
• Rely on teacher to facilitate learning
• Group think and interaction
Millennial College Experiences
• Multiple options – state, private, proprietary schools,
community colleges, dual and concurrently enrolled,
middle college, etc. (Where does one start and another
begin?) make the choice by “what’s best for me.”
• Fast paced learning
• Group activities (learning communities, peer tutoring,
service learning, supplemental instruction)
• More assumed responsibility from colleges for the social
issues of students (before, faculty weren’t concerned)
• Don’t want or need silence to concentrate – freaks out the
librarians
Millennial College Experiences
• All possible content is on the internet – need
process and skills-based
• Get out as fast as you can
• Stay home as long as you can – are protected
and mentored
• Get “do-overs” often
• Lots of technology, no tolerance for delays
• Are not hardy, drop out and quit easily
• Dislike ambiguity – “just tell us what we need
to know”
At Your Tables
• Discuss:
– When you were an undergraduate student and
had a paper assigned in a class, what was your
process for preparing for and writing the paper?
• Where did your reference material come from?
• How long did it take?
• Would it be done differently today?
Major Influencing
Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Their parents
The self-esteem movement
The customer service movement
Gaming and technology
Casual communication
Parenting Millennials
• This generation is being parented by welleducated, over-involved adults who
participate in “deliberate
parenting.” They have
outcomes in mind.
• Boomers were the first
generation to be thrown
out in to an unsafe world
as adolescents.
• The 60’s and 70’s were very scary and many
of us felt unprepared for it.
• We were naïve and didn’t have enough tools
in our tool box to deal with it.
Baby Boomers as Parents
• Boomers rebelled against the parenting
practices of their parents.
• Strict discipline was the order
of the day for boomers.
• They made conscious decisions
not to say “because I told you
so” or “because I’m the parent
and you’re the child.”
• Boomers became more
“friendly” with their children.
They wanted to have open lines of
communication and a relationship with them.
Baby Boomers as Parents
• They explained things to their children, (actions,
consequences, options, etc.) – they wanted them to
learn to make informed decisions.
• They allowed their children to have input into family
decisions, educational options and
discipline issues.
• We told them “just because it is on
television doesn’t mean it’s true”
or “you can’t believe everything
you read.”
• We wanted them to question
authority.
The Result
• Millennials have become
“a master set of
negotiators” who are
capable of rational thought
and decision-making skills at
young ages.
• They will negotiate with anyone
including their parents, teachers
and school administrators.
• Some call this “arguing.”
Helicopter Parents
• Helicopter Parent (n) A
parent who hovers over his
or her children.
• Or Snowplow parent: Parents who clear
the way for their children
• ……these (echo) boomers are confident,
achievement-oriented and used to hovering
"helicopter" parents keeping tabs on their
every move. (Anthony DeBarros, "New baby
boom swamps colleges," USA Today, January
2, 2003)
Helicopter Parent go to
College
• A new generation of over-involved
parents are flooding campus
orientations, meddling in registration
and interfering with students' dealings
with professors, administrators and roommates,
school officials say.
• Some of these hovering parents, whose numbers
have been rising for several years, are unwittingly
undermining their children's chances of success,
campus administrators say. Now, universities and
colleges are moving rapidly to build or expand
programs aimed at helping parents strike a better
balance.
Colleges Ward Off Overinvolved Parents By Sue Shellenbarger
From The Wall Street Journal Online
Baby Boomer Parents have been
their Biggest Cheerleaders
• Millennials expect and
need praise.
• Will mistake silence for
disapproval.
• Millennials expect
feedback.
Parental Care in the Millennial Era
• Today’s typical family is spending more,
not less, time with kids.
• Smaller families mean
more time with each child.
• Fathers are spending more
time with children.
• Less housework is being done.
• There is a strong connection between the
social lives of parents and kids.
• They get along with their parents and
share their parents’ values.
Who are your heroes?
• An Associate Press/MTV poll asked
millennials who they looked up to as
heroes?
– 50% said their parents (29% mom, 21% dad)
– 11% named a friend
– 10% said God
– 8% named a grandmother
– 7% a brother
– 5% a teacher or professor
CNN 8/20/07
Focus on Self-esteem
• This generation was the center
of the “self-esteem” movement.
• 9,068 books were written about
self-esteem and children during
the 80s and 90s (there were 485 in the 70s).
• The state of California spent millions studying
the construct and published a document
entitled “Toward a State of Self-esteem.”
• Yet they can’t escape the angst of adolescence
– they still feel disconnected, question their
existence, purpose and the meaning of life.
They want to feel valued and cared about.
Focus on Customer Service
• Expect access (24/7)
• Expect things to work like
they are supposed to
• If they don’t “that is your
problem”
• They want what they have paid for
• Everything comes with a toll-free
number or web address
• Want “Gateway Go Back”
in classes
Their Idea of Computer
Technology
This is what millennials grew
up with?
Add the Impact of Gaming
• Gaming has impacted children
– The game endings changed based
on the decisions children made
(Role Playing Games [Legend of
Zelda, Final Fantasy, Chronotrigger])
impacting locus of control.
– Involves a complex set of decisionmaking skills.
– Teaches them to take multiple
pieces of data and make decisions
quickly.
– Learning more closely resembles
Nintendo, a trial and error approach to
solving problems.
We navigated our way through…..
They navigated their way through…..
Technology
• This generation has been plugged in since
they were babies.
• They grew up with educational software and
computer games.
• They think technology should be free.
• They want and expect
services 24/7.
• They do not live in an
8–5 world.
• They function in an
international world.
Millennials Want to Learn
With technology
With each other
Online
In their time
In their place
Doing things that
matter (most
important)
Source: Achievement and the 21st Century Learner.
Technology In School
• Students are increasingly savvy when
it comes to technology.
• In general, students expect faculty to
incorporate technology into their
teaching and be proficient at it.
• At the very least, communication via e-mail,
access to online resources, PowerPoint
presentations, Internet activities, discussion
boards and electronic classrooms are
expected.
• Faculty will need to balance the use of
technology with their own philosophies of
teaching.
Characteristics of Today’s Children
• 76% want to learn more about the world.
• 28% of high school students
access foreign news sources
via the Internet.
• 90% percent of children
between ages 5 and 17
use computers.
• Teens spend more time online using the
Internet than watching television.
From: A Nation on the Move, http://www.ed.gov
Characteristics of Today’s Children
• 24% have created their own web pages.
• 16% of teens are shareholders in the stock
market.
• 33% use “Facebook”, “Twitter”, IM, “Myspace”
or other social networking contexts or formats
daily.
• Teens and college students combined spend
nearly $400 billion a year.
• The largest group of new users of the Internet
from 2000-2002 were 2-5 year olds.34
From: A Nation on the Move, http://www.ed.gov, and Just Kid Inc. KID Formation Series,
July 2008, “Meet the Millennial Generation: An Explosive New Consumer Force.”
By age 21…..
• It is estimated that the
average child will have:
–
–
–
–
–
Spent 10,000 hours playing video games
Sent 200,000 emails
Spent 20,000 hours watching TV
Spent 10,000 hours on their cell phone
Spent under 5,000 hours reading
• But these are issues of income. Will a child
who grows up in a low income household
have these same experiences?
The “Information Age” Mindset
• Students have never known life without the
computer. It is an assumed part of life.
• The Internet is a source of research,
interactivity, and socializing (they prefer it over
TV).
• Doing is more important than
knowing.
• There is zero tolerance for
delays.
• The infrastructure and the
lecture tradition of colleges
may not meet the expectations
of students raised on the Internet and
interactive games.
Cell Phone Technology
• They all have cell phones and expect
to be in contact 24/7.
• Not a phone – a lifestyle management tool
• Staying “connected” is essential.
• Communication is a safety issue for
parents.
• Communication has become
casual for students (IM, email
and cell phones.
What About 1st Generation
Students?
• Not all students will be proficient; first-generation and
students from low income or working class families may
have less experience.
• Their experience with technology has been in arcades
and minimally in school (poorer districts.)
• They have not had the exposure to educational uses of
technology.
• We need another placement test – remedial
keyboarding and technology.
• Huge digital divide between the “haves” and the “have
nots” based on income levels (class).
• Digital divide is appearing in pre-K.
In School
• They need to understand why
they are doing what they are
doing – objectives of classroom
activities and projects.
• They want to have input into
their educational processes.
• They want to be involved in meaningful
activities, not mundane work.
• They think it is cool to be smart.
• They will respond well to programs like
“learning communities and service learning.”
Millennial Expectations
• Clear expectations, explicit syllabi, and
well structured assignments.
• They expect detailed instructions and
guidelines for completing assignments.
• They have come from K-12 systems
where students are actively involved in
learning and classroom activities change
often.
• Teachers are helpers and facilitators of
learning.
Satisfaction with Online Courses
70%
60%
50%
63%
55%
40%
38%
30%
26%
20%
10%
0%
Veterans
Source: Educause
Boomers
Gen X
Millennials
How are Millennials doing in
school?
• Teachers report that students are
doing better academically.
• The largest gains have been in math
and science for ages 9 and 13.
• Verbal skills show less clear
trends.
• Millennials have corrected a late 80s
decline in writing proficiency.
• Reading scores show modest
gains through the 90s.
SAT Scores – a Twenty Year
Reversal
520
520
519
Verbal
Math
515
510
509
504
505 503
500
500
497
514
512
511
509
508
506
504
503
507
505
504
502
501 501
500
501
501
500
500
499
516
518
518
514
511
506
505505 505505 505
504
507
508
504
508
503
500 500 499
495
494
Millennials Taking SAT
490
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06
9
1 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Highest SAT Scores in 35 Years
Ambitions
 Most
•
•
•
popular college majors:
Medicine
Education/teaching
Business and marketing
•
•
•
Engineering
Law and politics
Computer science
 Most
sought after qualities in
careers:
•
•
•
Responsibility
Independence
Creativity
 Most
•
•
Source: Industry Week, March, 1998.
•
Idealistic and
committed co-workers
common job trends :
Multi-taskers
Change Careers
•
•
Seek security & benefits
Stay with company that
offers a challenge
What Do Businesses and Colleges/
Universities Need to Know about
Today’s College Students and
Graduates
Here Come the Girls
Boys Issues in K-12
For Every 100 Girls Who….
Number of Boys
Enroll in Kindergarten
116
Enroll in Ninth Grade
101
Enroll in Twelfth Grade
98
Are Suspended from K-12
250
Are Expelled from K-12
335
Diagnosed with Learning Disability 276
Enroll in the gifted and talented
program
94
The Boys Project. http://www.boysproject.net/statistics.html
Boys and Their Educational
Choices
For Every 100 Girls Who….
Number of Boys
Graduate from High School
96
Enroll in College
77
Earn an Associates Degree
67
Earn a Bachelors Degree
73
Earn a Masters Degree
62
Earn a Doctorate
92
The Boys Project. http://www.boysproject.net/statistics.html
First Time Freshman Enrollments by Gender
– 50 Years (numbers in thousands)
1600
(54.8%)
1400
1200
(45.2%)
1000
800
Males
Females
600
400
200
04
20
00
20
95
19
90
19
85
19
80
19
75
19
70
19
65
19
60
19
19
55
0
College Graduation Projections (numbers in
thousands) (61% of degrees will go to
women)
1050
(62.6%)
950
850
Assoc. Degree Male
Assoc. Degree Female
Bach. Degree Male
Bach. Degree Female
750
650
(37.4%)
550
(60%)
450
350
(40%)
250
6
50
20
7
60
20
8
70
20
9
80
20
0
-1
9
0
20
1
-1
0
1
20
2
-1
1
1
20
3
-1
2
1
20
4
-1
3
1
20
Difference in Values
• They have witnessed their
baby boomer parents coming
home from stressed jobs,
exhausted, falling asleep at
the dinner table; and don’t
want that for themselves.
• They are a generation who is
interested in a life with value
and meaning – they do not
aspire to what the “boomers”
aspire to – they want
something different.
True Multi-taskers
• Millennials have lived programmed
lives and are already quite capable
of learning several jobs
simultaneously and performing
them admirably.
• Millennials will change careers
many times.
• Retooling and recycling their
skills and talents will become
common.
• To retain them, smart employers
will encourage Millennials to try out different careers
within the same company.
Need for Services
• It is estimated that 3 million Millennials have
been diagnosed with ADHD and have been
medicated (80% are boys).
• Within student populations, the number with
disabilities has jumped from 3% to 9%.
–
–
–
–
Many have had individual education plans.
Many need testing services (quiet, separate).
Need to self-advocate to teachers.
Major transition from high school to college.
2004 Research Study
• Central Piedmont Community College’s
Center for Applied Research was
contracted to do this study by the
Workforce Development Board.
– Focus Groups were conducted.
– An Online Survey was administered.
– Data collected January–March 2004 from the
University of NC at Charlotte, Central
Piedmont Community College and Johnson C.
Smith University.
Characteristics They Look for in
Teachers
• At least 50% said:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Enthusiastic about the course/teaching
Are fun to be around
Provide intellectual challenges
Have flexible class policies
Are sensitive to your needs/feelings
Emphasize preparing for future career
Working in Teams
• How do you feel about working in teams?
– I like it
– Have no feelings about it
– I don’t like it
44.7%
25.9%
29.4%
Working in Teams
• In the classroom, do you do the
following? 1 = never
2 = rarely
3 = sometimes
4 = often
Mean (sd)
Are given “team grades” on working
with others
Write papers/do projects with others
Study/do research in teams
2.62 (.89)
2.41 (.79)
2.35 (.80)
What Will You Do
After Graduating?
•
•
•
•
•
Immediately get a job
Continue my education
Take some time off
Marry/start a family
Not sure
43%
34%
5%
6%
13%
Career
Field
 How likely do you think it is that your first job
out of college will be in your career field?
– Somewhat Likely
– Not Likely/Not Sure
– Very Likely
37.4%
20.5%
39.4%
Salary Expectations
• Realistically, what do you expect your starting
salary will be when you begin working?
–
–
–
–
–
–
$15-20K
$21-30K
$31-40K
$41-50K
$50K+
Not sure
Millennials
7.7%
29.3%
27.0%
15.9%
7.0%
12.5%
Approximately 65% felt they would earn $40K or less
Importance of Career Components
• Elements thought to be very important
Respected on the Job
Opportunity for Professional Development
Ability to Have an Impact on the World
Importance of Career Components
• Items thought to be somewhat
important:
Access to Information and Expression of Personal
Opinion
Having High Job Prestige
Working with Inspiring Colleagues
Geographic Location of Job
Receive Guidance and Direction from Supervisor
Importance of Career Components
• Items thought to be somewhat important:
Participating in Company Decisions
Independence/Professional Autonomy
Using Creativity on the Job
Lots of Responsibility
Flexible Work Hours
Dress Code Appropriate to
Work Environment
Importance of Job Benefits
• Benefits thought to be very important
Health Insurance
Salary Growth
Plans like 401K
Life Insurance
Bonuses
Employer-paid Retirement
• Benefits thought to be unimportant
Stock Options
Profit Sharing
Jobs in Lifetime
• How many jobs do you
think you will hold in
your lifetime?
– 1-3
35.7%
– 4-6
41.5%
– 7-10
16.5%
– Over 10
6.2%
64% expect to have 4 or more jobs
Future Odds
• The following % felt it was very likely that they
would someday:
Work for themselves/own business
Have lifestyle they grew up with
21%
63%
• 79% felt a two income household would be
somewhat to very important in reaching their
lifestyle goals?
Quality of Life?
Rank order of items that contribute
to a good quality of life
(% ranking item in top 3
on a scale of 1-8)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Having a secure future for my family
Time to enjoy family/children
Having family/children
Having a great job
Having good friends
Having plenty of money
Having plenty of free time
71.5%
68.7%
63.2%
60.4%
55.2%
45.5%
40.2%
Your Generation in the Future
• Someday, your generation will be raising
kids, running corporations and occupying
high political office. When that day comes,
which areas of American life will be better,
the same or worse than today because of
your generation?
– 3 = better
– 2 = same
– 1 = worse
Areas they felt they would do better:
Technology
Race Relations
Areas they felt they would do about the
same:
Economy
Schools
Arts/Culture
Foreign Affairs
Areas they felt they
couldn’t improve on:
Government
Family Life
Religion
Crime/Public Order
Will We Have a Workforce
Shortage?
• Will the Boomers retire in droves?
• Could see a 4-10 million worker shortage by
2010.
• We don’t have enough well-prepared young
workers.
• Greatest needs in fields with advanced
education such as nursing and education.
• Also industries with mostly older workers
such as the oil and gas industry.
Older Generations Make Assumptions
• That younger generations will measure
success just as we have.
• Young worker must pay their dues and
follow the same paths to success as
previous generations.
• The company ladder will remain intact.
• Workers go where the jobs are.
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the
Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007
What Millennials Want
• Ability to work whenever
and wherever they want.
• Variation on the job
• Continual feedback from supervisors
• Opportunities to learn, retool and
reinvent themselves
• Challenge, new problems to solve
• To be in charge of their lives and
future
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the
Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007
Millennials Were Asked….
• What are the top five things
that make you respect a
company?
Top Five
1. Give back to their community.
2. Have fair labor practices.
3. Have products and services that do
what they promise to do.
4. Having products and services that
truly help people in need.
5. Being “green” or “eco-friendly.”
(Just Kid Inc. KID Formation Series, July 2008, “Meet the Millennial
Generation: An Explosive New Consumer Force.”)
What They Are Not Interested In
• Time-honored traditions
• Doing things the way they
have always been done
• Paying their dues
• How their managers got to where they are
(rank)
• A work ethic that requires a 10 hour day
• Unquestioning loyalty to a company
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the
Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007
Change in Values
Two youngest generations:
– Define success differently
– Their time is equal in value
to
money
– Will pursue other rewards for their work
– The company/corporate ladder has become
irrelevant
– View their predecessor’s experience as a
warning, not a road map
– Don’t value the rules of management,
motivation and reward
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across
the Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007
Skepticism
The two younger generations:
– Have been given ample reason to question
authority
– Don’t believe their leaders tell the truth
– Question the motives and truthfulness of
institutions across the board
– Invest their loyalty and trust in individuals
and therefore, the right boss is critical
(otherwise they change jobs, #1 reason
they quit)
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the
Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007
What Will It Take for All
Generations to Work Well Together
• A new understanding of what employees
want from their jobs, bosses and workplace
experience
• A new understanding of loyalty and how to
develop it (not through pay, promotions and
benefits)
• A new definition of self – young employees
define themselves by what they do outside
the job, not what they do for a living
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the
Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007
What Will It Take
• New behavior from leaders who realize
younger workers enter the workforce seeking
self-fulfillment and aren’t interested in
“paying their dues” for an unspecified amount
of time for a vague reward
• Because young people are doing everything
later – staying in school, living at home,
getting married, having kids – this impacts
their commitment to work
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the
Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007
Reasons US Workers Change Jobs
In 2006, 21% of US workers made voluntary
job changes for the following reasons:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Growth and earnings potential (30%)
Time and flexibility (23%)
Financial compensation (22%)
Culture and work environment (22%)
Benefits (12%)
Supervisor relationship (10%)
Travel and development (9%)
Management climate (9%)
Benefit News
Changing Workforce
• Workers are demanding the ability to balance their
work and personal responsibilities.
• Workers are not afraid of changing jobs.
• The idea that the best way to grow financially and
otherwise is to stay with one employer has been
eroding to the point of extinction.
• Younger workers and those earning $15,000 or less
were the most likely to change jobs.
• The cost of turnovers range from $7,000 for hourly
employees to $30,000 for mid-level managers and
$80,000 for technical or senior level management
(Center for Workforce Learning).
Charlotte Biz, March 2007
Some are already in the workforce.
What are they saying?
• “The technology is too slow.”
• “Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I should be
given low pay and a poor work schedule.”
• “I expect to be treated fairly.”
• “We are inheriting a mess in the workforce – who got
us there?”
• “My dad worked 60 hours a week and then lost his
pension – no way I’m doing that.”
• “I can get my work done in 40 hours – sorry if you
can’t.”
Charlotte Observer, Sunday, March 5, 2006.
How They Will Push Us…
•
•
•
•
•
More independence in the workforce
Consumer-based fairness
Better technology
Enhanced professional development
Get rid of “that’s the way we’ve always
done it”
• Have more life balance
• Re-establish priorities
What We Know
• Times are changing – in business and
society
• So – leadership must change
• The younger generations are working in
a different economy and business world
• They have different values and goals
THEY WILL NEVER BE LIKE US!
What can managers do?
1. Mentor their employees
• About how the company runs, what makes
people of different generations work well
together. Teach people skills not just business
processes.
• Great leaders can motivate all people by
balancing processes and people’s needs for the
good of the company
Messages that Motivate
• Veterans
– Your experience is respected here
– What has and hasn’t worked in the past is
relevant
– Perseverance is valued
• Boomers
– You are important to our success
– Your contribution is unique and important
– We need you
Messages that Motivate
• Gen Xers
– Do it your way
– There aren’t a lot of rules here
– We’re not very corporate
• Millennials
–
–
–
–
–
You will work with other bright, creative people
You can help turn this company around
You can be a hero here
We value independent workers
Your boss will help you succeed
2. Communicate with employees
• Encourage them to develop trust with others and
empower people to do their jobs. Ask for input
rather than telling them what to do. Open
communication reduces resistance.
3. Value their values
• Want work-life balance. They value family and
friends and want to work their eight hour day and
go home. Older workers think long hours show
your loyalty and productivity. Younger workers
often get things done faster. They value
efficiency and effectiveness and doing things
faster.
4. Focus on Retention
• People leave for several reasons: older
workers retire but younger workers often
leave feeling unvalued.
• Have strategies to retain both groups.
• Older generations like monetary rewards,
younger generations like time off work.
So How Do We Work With Them?
• Because they have grown up in a different world,
never assume that they know certain things like:
– You don’t want to talk to their mother when they are
having problems.
– You don’t get points for showing up or an A for effort.
– The definition of plagiarism and cheating.
– It’s not appropriate to call the professor at home after
9pm.
– They can’t use IM language in papers.
– It’s not okay to email the professor 10 times a day.
– That when they email you at 3am, you’re not sitting
on the other end waiting to respond to them.
– The business office (and most others) close at 5pm.
Some Major Issues Worth
Addressing
• Some of them have been performing below
grade level all their lives… and they may not
know it (age of social promotion).
• You may be the first strict grader they have
encountered (will discourage them).
• Many are not very “hardy.” Will quit or drop
out because “it’s hard.”
• They are very good consumers and will figure
out a way to stay “under the radar.”
• They are not good planners and will do
everything late if allowed.
What Should Institutions Do (In
the Classroom)?
• Develop policies and practices around
appropriate communication (by
department).
• Give them electronic access to as much
as is philosophically possible.
• Draw a line on negotiations.
• Give them definitions, boundaries and
rules.
What Should Institutions Do?
• Stop existing in an 8-5 world.
• Establish prerequisites for reading and
writing intensive courses.
• Force them to take developmental
courses the first semester (don’t set
them up to fail).
• Stop letting them register late, hand in
late work and procrastinate.
What Should Institutions Do?
• Don’t let them take online courses if
they are not tech savvy and don’t
possess the motivation to complete.
• Train all faculty to detect and work with
low performing students (especially in
gate keeper courses).
What Should Institutions Do?
• Look into what is known about learning.
• Try to actively engage them.
• Engage them in group-oriented
activities
– Service learning
– Study groups
– Supplemental instruction
– Learning communities
What Should Institutions Do?
• Create alterative ways for the low-tech
students to come up to speed.
– Basic keyboarding skills.
– Special workshops or lab sessions on the
basics.
– Help them master software that “will do
work for them.”
– Get access to computers (refurbished,
community projects, grants, etc.)
One Final Word
• In case you're worried about what's
going to become of the younger
generation, it's going to grow up and
start worrying about the younger
generation. (Roger Allen)
In 2008 – In Schools Across
America
• The first full class of a new generation
will showed up for kindergarten.
Who Are They?
• A new “Silent Generation”
referred to as Generation
Z, Generation Alpha or the
Homeland Generation.
• Starts mid-2000’s until
about 2017-2020 and will
be considered an
artist generation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss_and_Howe
Generation Z
• Will be raised on technology, they will not be scared
of anything, they will be open to new ideas.
• They will be into truth and loyalty and they will not
be not afraid to voice their opinion.
• They will be flexible and open to change.
• They will be fearless and fun.
• They will be the ‘new’ hope for our own future.
• Their great-grandparents belong mostly to
the Silent Generation and the Baby boomers
form the core of their grandparents.
• Their parents are seen as being roughly
evenly divided between Generation X
and Generation Y.
http://www.generationzbaby.com/generation-z.html
For a copy of this presentation:
http//www.cpcc.edu/millennial
Click on: “workshops and presentations”
Contact:
terri.manning@cpcc.edu