Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on FlexJobs.com.
Today’s workforce consists of five distinct generations: the Silent Generation, baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z. Each generation brings its own knowledge and work style to the multigenerational workforce, and understands unique attitudes, challenges, strengths, and preferences. of each generation in the workplace is essential to ensuring an inclusive workplace.
To better understand the experiences and opinions of international workers, FlexJobs surveyed more than 2,000 professionals — including baby boomers, millennials, and Gen Xers — between June 11, 2024, and June 23, 2024.
According to FlexJobs’ 2024 Generations at Work Report, nearly half (49%) of respondents believe Gen Xers make the best managers, while less than a quarter (24%) of respondents feel millennials and baby boomers make the best managers .
In addition to revealing intergenerational perspectives on teamwork, the report also highlighted top workplace trends, preferred apps and communication methods, and the shared desire for work-life balance and flexibility across generations in the workplace.
Most Employees Prefer Gen X to Gen Z
In addition to reporting that Gen Xers make the best managers, 40% of respondents said they do the majority enjoy working with Gen X. In contrast, 43% of survey takers said that at least enjoy working with Gen Z.
As for other generations in the workplace, 20% of respondents shared that they enjoy working with baby boomers the most, while 31% said millennials are the generation they most enjoy working with.
Of all generations in the workplace, the majority of millennials (62%), Gen Xers (68%), and baby boomers (73%) feel that other generations do not understand their generation’s workplace challenges, with the highest number of responses coming from baby boomers boomers.
When asked about their younger counterparts, 59% of baby boomers feel that Gen Z “doesn’t get a bad rap” at work, compared to 58% of Gen X and less than half (48%) of millennials.
Quiet Quitting Is Accepted For Millennials More Than Other Generations
The leading trend reported was to quit the job quietly, or quit before quitting altogether. Quitting silence was reported by 20% of respondents, with other top trends including:
Nearly one-third (32%) of millennials reported that they had “quietly quit” their jobs — a slightly higher rate than average. This percentage is also higher than any other generation polled, with 17% of Gen X and 11% of boomers reporting that they have quietly left the workforce.
Reasonable Length of Employment
The majority of respondents (60%) agreed that the ideal length of time to stay in one job was five years or more. Some respondents reported the ideal length of stay at work as:
- 3-4 years (19%)
- 2-3 years (16%)
- 1-2 years (5%)
The ideal length of time is divided by generation, with 69% of boomers and 67% of Gen X reporting a high willingness to stay in the workforce for five years or more, compared to less than half (45%) of millennials.
For each generation, the ideal length of stay in the workforce is:
- 5+ years: millennials (45%), Gen X (67%), boomers (69%)
- 3-4 years: millennials (22%), Gen X (17%), boomers (17%)
- 2-3 years: millennials (24%), Gen X (13%), boomers (10%)
- 1-2 years: millennials (8%), Gen X (3%), boomers (4%)
Working from Home Most Popular Among Boomers
The Generations at Work Report also revealed that baby boomers are working remotely at slightly higher rates than Gen X and millennials.
More than half (52%) of boomers reported working from home full-time, compared to 46% of Gen Xers and 38% of millennials. In fact, millennials showed the highest rates of full-time office work, with 40% of millennials reporting that they don’t work remotely at all.
Here’s a breakdown of office vs. work-from-home data across generations in the workplace:
- Full time in the office: millennials (40%), Gen X (34%), boomers (31%)
- Remote work only from home: millennials (38%), Gen X (46%), boomers (52%)
- Hybrid function: millennials (22%), Gen X (20%), boomers (17%)
As for these work arrangements, most generations agreed that working entirely from home or working remotely was their ideal work arrangement.
Specifically, the majority of millennials (61%), Gen Xers (61%), and boomers (67%) prefer to work from home, while 39% of millennials, 38% of Gen X, and 32% of boomers you choose a hybrid operating system.
Preferred Ways of Communication for All Generations
Regardless of work environment, the majority (87%) of international workers agreed that email is their preferred form of communication.
In addition to e-mail, the preferred intergenerational communication methods in the workplace include phone calls (45%), video meetings (45%), and texting (44%).
Only 37% of respondents prefer to communicate via chat platforms, such as Slack.
Generations United in Desire for Work-Life Balance
Another consensus across generations at work is the long-standing professional goal of work-life balance and “having as much flexibility as possible.” This international desire for work flexibility reinforces the need for remote and hybrid work options among the workforce.
In summary, the top professional goals cited across generations include:
- Work life balance: millennials (85%), Gen X (81%), boomers (60%)
- As much flexibility as possible: millennials (78%), Gen X (73%), boomers (63%)
- To make as much money as possible: millennials (59%), Gen X (55%), boomers (38%)
- Having a job where they can travel: millennials (41%), Gen X (28%), boomers (16%)
- Owning their own business: millennials (35%), Gen X (27%), boomers (15%)
- Being a manager: millennials (13%), Gen X (9%), boomers (5%)
Source link