There is a lot of talk, and there are books about the different generations. When it comes to work ethics, there is definitely a different mindset from one generation to another, but personality also plays a huge role.
The generation divisions are: baby boomers; generation X; and generation Y. Baby boomers were born in the years of 1944- 1963. Generation Xers were born from 1964 – 1980. Generation Y represents those born from 1980 and beyond.
Employers don’t know how to communicate or even begin to understand the upcoming y generation. This generation goes into an interview expecting to hear what the employer has to offer. It is almost like a reverse interview. If the employer does not offer the benefits, salary, or work environment that the y generation wants, the y generation will more than likely turn down the job even if they are currently unemployed. The y generation wants to be creative and productive. They don’t like menial projects.
This is the exact opposite of the faithful baby boomers who are grateful to have a job. A baby boomer will be loyal to their employer and take pride in tenure. A baby boomer might be thankful for their benefits but secretly hope for more.
Generation x is a mix between the boomer and the y. They will choose their job between several choices. They will move on without thought to tenure. They will expect more from the employer and give less,
While work ethics of different generations can be described in tendencies. Generation gaps cannot completely be the cause of poor work ethics.
Many people do not take pride in their work. They simply get by with minimal effort. These people basically put in their time and draw their check. Supervisors need to be consistent with providing encouragement in improvement and not accepting minimal efforts. If the supervisor has to continually correct work for the employee then this can be addressed as a performance issue.
Some people call in sick habitually. Once a pattern is noticed, the supervisor needs to discuss this with the employee. Due to HIPPA violations, the employee does not have to divulge any information. This can make addressing the problem difficult. A supervisor can request a doctor’s excuse for frequent absences. The excuse does not have to state what the illness is, but the request for and excuse makes it more difficult for the employee to call in for minor or fictitious illness.
There is always the office social bug. This person will travel from door to door and dig into everyone’s personal life. They don’t get a lot done, seldom miss work, and keep others from getting their work done. The challenge for the supervisor here is to get the other employees to tell the social bug that they have work to do and don’t have time to visit. They can offer that they have a break at a certain time and would love to visit then. This is difficult for co-workers because this employee is usually well liked.
The one every co-worker dreads is the whiner. The whiner will complain that they don’t have enough time to do their work or that they have more work to do than others. They will whine about their home life. The whiner also goes from office door to office door looking for sympathy and wasting time. A supervisor often has to discuss attitude with this employee. This can be tricky because the supervisor has to be careful to not put labels on the employee. The supervisor has to point out that a negative attitude decreases morale throughout the office. Often this is just a habit and the employee does not realize they are doing this. This employee generally has good work abilities, but needs to be kept on track by supervisors and co-workers.
The employee that is an overachiever can also be a problem a supervisor has to deal with.
The overachiever needs continual approval and acknowledgment. This employee will do extra tasks hoping to get praise from the supervisor. Sometimes these tasks can cause problems with communication or daily functions. The overachiever will change a system without getting everyone’s approval. Co-workers don’t always appreciate change initiated by another employee. The supervisor can benefit best from this type of employee if they find extra things for them to do and acknowledge their efforts often.
Supervision of others has many challenges due to different personalities and generation gaps. Supervisors often need to step back and look at the particular age and personality of an employee without discrimination and determine the best way to help that employee work with others and be productive.
