Facing the Great Generation Debate in the Workplace

Let's face it, each age group has nuanced advantages and disadvantages when it comes to a working environment. And this is aside from the issues surrounding gender, socioeconomic status and other demographic issues one may transcend.

Speaking to an audience of mainly college students, and recent college graduates, I think we can all agree that our perspective on the workplace is increasingly crucial for those who are employing us and in turn, our overall satisfaction.

Starting a job straight out of college is both a fact of life and an opportunity to set forth on one's career journey.

However, something that is understandably different from our generation compared to older generations, is that we have in disposable resources and abundant streams of information which was not as readily available 10+ years ago.

Technology:

Growing up and living in a society dependent on technology, can both enhance and cripple one's working environment. In order to maximize one's potential as a Millennial or Generation Z-er, it is important to know how utilize technology to one's advantage. Granted, there is not one standard work environment, however for the typical 9-5, one can assume that they will be sitting at a desk with a computer and have access to an abundance of devices. The most important and rewarding aspect of being literate in tech, is being able to help coworkers navigate through the mundane workings of excel, word and so forth. This may seem obvious, however it demonstrates to older generations that we are knowledgable, patient and able to transcend our innate knowledge and prove that we can do more than edit pictures to post on VSCO's and Instagram.

Communication:

Yes, speaking to people is still really important- not to sound like a robot, but texting and dm'ing can only go so far in a working environment. However, speaking is not the only way to communicate, oftentimes body language is perceived before words and sentences are processed. Listening, and allowing a person to fully elaborate on their thoughts is extremely important, and can lead to improved relations and building trust.

Perspective:

An issue that spans across and between generations, is understanding perspectives. Sometimes experiences are only understandable when lived through. Therefore, maybe hearing someone's childhood stories where they had to walk to school is only something can be visualized, and not experienced, however mentally digesting this, can increase mutual understanding.