The multi-generation workplace refers to a social construct used to generalize and categorize age groups motivated by social media and modern workplace culture. The multi-gen workplace is a new concept that poses risks to age inclusivity and stereotyping. It is a common myth to say that certain generations want or need certain things to be happy while another generation requires something differently. This method fails to look at the individual and instead looks at the age group of a generation. Under the Social Constructionist theory, generational differences are “willed into being” stemming from the multi-dimensional and complex human development. In addition to the Social Constructionist theory, the Lifespan development theory refers to the fact that human development is a lifelong process of experiences and changes in a person’s life that mold a person’s goals and perspective. It is important to understand that almost 8 billion people are cohabiting on earth and every one of them has had different experiences and has made different choices leading to who they are today. It shows that people are all in different stages of life and that stages of life are not confined to a person’s age.
The 5 generations
The Silent Generation (1925 – 1945)
Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964)
Generation X (1965 – 1980)
Millennials (1981 – 2000)
Generation Z (2001 – 2020)
These five generations make up the work force in the US and it is expected that millennials will make up 3/5ths of the workplace in 2025. With almost a century apart from each other and dozens of world events happening between them, the political and social climate has changed certain generations perspectives. For example, “A recent college graduate, who started their first job during the pandemic and is used to working remote, values flexible work hours and prefers to communicate digitally. On the other hand, someone who entered the workforce in 2008, during the Great Recession, might value job security and routine, and prefer to work a predictable nine-to-five schedule, five days a week.”
