Let's Get to Know the Generations

BABY BOOMERS, the generation born between 1946 and 1964. Named after the sharp rise in birth rates following the end of World War II. Today they are around 60 years old. And although their professional activity is now slowly winding down, they are still present in the labour market. And the number of people aged 50+ continues to grow, due to an ageing society, though these already belong to the next generation, Generation X. They are characterised by a higher level of education than their parents. The most educated generation, however, is currently Generation Y, also known as millennials.

While baby boomers and Generation X share many traits as employees, millennials differ from them radically. Why?

Well, BB and X are attached to their workplace and are loyal to their employers. They are committed to their work and willing to share their experience with younger employees. These are people who do not trust the internet or electronics; they still prefer to handle everything face-to-face, and documents should be in paper form.

Millennials (around 1980–1994), on the other hand, are people who value their personal development above all else. They are open to challenges and engage in everything they do, but if they lack suitable conditions for growth, they can quickly change jobs. They are independent individuals who don't particularly enjoy working in a group. They know their worth and are not always willing to listen to advice or feedback on their performance at work. They also want to establish a stable work-life balance.

The next generation is called Z, comprising people born in the 1990s and early 2000s. Those born in this period are similar to millennials. They are only now entering the labour market, but a few interesting traits can already be observed. Generation Z has been dealing with electronic devices since childhood. It's no surprise, then, that they prefer to use a computer at work for most tasks, and they pick up computer programs quickly. They prefer email interaction over face-to-face. Like millennials, they value personal development more than the company they work for. They like flexible working hours, especially since many of them are studying at the same time. However, they are often criticised by the older generation for their smartphone addiction. They find it hard to focus on one thing; they like change and are not afraid to change jobs when things stop suiting them or when they find something better. Work-life balance is also important to them, but they also pay attention to the team and the atmosphere at work.

So we have two opposing camps in the labour market: supporters of outdated methods and those eager to develop innovative solutions.

Problems and Grievances Lead to Intergenerational Conflicts

What Is Age Intolerance and How Does It Manifest in Relations Between Boomers and Millennials?

One of the biggest conflicts is the perception of millennials and Gen Z in the labour market. The older generation considers them children incapable of handling important tasks or clients. They are seen as privileged youngsters who, instead of working, sit on their phones or meet up with friends, spending all their parents' money. Their bold ideas are not always heard by the supporters of the older, simpler times. Their ideas and beliefs about the world are marginalised. This can be seen in the example of the climate threat — the attempt to save humanity from climate catastrophe is undertaken mainly by young people. Meanwhile, older generations often show disbelief or a lack of care for the environment.

The response to this state of affairs is precisely "OK, boomer." It is meant to show that young people matter too — perhaps even more, since they are the future. They want their opinion to be heard and appreciated. They are the ones with open minds for new things, they have many interests and want to use their knowledge at work. When the older generation sees millennials constantly on their phones, they think they are wasting time — whereas it is precisely from their phones that they draw the information they need.

OK boomer is a response to the oft-repeated tales of hardship of the older generations. BBs, eager to talk about the old days, fail to appreciate just how difficult and competitive a world millennials were born into. Yes, perhaps they didn't have to go hungry — after all, they grew up in the era of consumerism. But now? In Poland, finding a part-time job at a serious company — not a call centre or restaurant — is next to impossible. And employers only want people with higher education, who are studying, and with at least two years of experience in a similar position — the salary? PLN 2,000 (around £400) for a full-time position. And yet now every student who takes their future seriously must start their work experience already during their studies.

 

 

Summary

Millennials and Generation Z face marginalisation of their ideas at work and the label of "entitled children." The response to this dismissal is the popular phrase "OK, boomer," which is meant to draw attention to the voice of the young and their openness to new technologies. The older generation perceives them as addicted to smartphones, while the young use them as a source of knowledge.

In reality, it is millennials who operate in a difficult, competitive environment — employers demand higher education and experience while offering low wages. The generational conflict in the labour market therefore seems to be the result not so much of differences in character, but of the unfair conditions in which younger generations have had to operate.