Today’s Hard-Working Family-Firsters

Some of the conventional wisdom about the younger generations in the U.S. turns out to be true, but some turns out to be utter nonsense, suggests a study sponsored by the American Business Collaboration (ABC), a corporate consortium.
In the “true” column is the notion that work/life balance is more important among the Gen X and Gen Y generations than among their Baby Boomer cohorts. Boomers really are more likely than other generations to say they’re work-centric, putting their jobs before their families. Whereas 22% of Boomers are work-centric, the same is true for only 13% of Gen X and Gen Y employees. Meanwhile, about half of Gen X and Gen Y workers put family before work, as opposed to only 41% of Boomers. (The rest of respondents say they are dual-centric, putting equal emphasis on work and family).

The study, conducted by the Families and Work Institute, also found that these differences show up in the hours people spend with their families. It notes, “Gen-X fathers spend significantly more time with their children than Boomer fathers with children of the same age, an average of 3.4 hours per workday versus an average of 2.2 hours for Boomer fathers – a difference of more than 1 hour” (Families and Work Institute, 2004, p. 4).

And these younger generations seem willing to make certain career tradeoffs in order to achieve a work/life balance. The study, which has been done every five years since 1992, found that the percentage of college-educated men who wanted to take jobs that give them more responsibility dropped significantly between 1992 and 2002, from 68% to just 52%. Among college-educated women, the number dropped from 57% to 36%. In both cases, more workers are “choosing to stay at the same levels, rather than continue moving up the career ladder” (“Study Examines,” 2004).

But if anyone still thinks the Gen Xers are truly the slackers they’ve been portrayed as in the past, they should think again. The study found that “Gen-X employees actually worked more paid and unpaid hours per week (45.6 hours on average) than employees of comparable ages in 1977 (42.9 paid and unpaid hours per week on average).” Xers are also becoming known as an independent and enterprising group, responsible for 70% of new business startups in the U.S. (Fowler, 2004).

Why is it so important to understand the work attitudes of these younger generations? Because retaining and engaging them will be a top priority in coming years. In fact, some observers forecast that experienced employees will soon be leaving the U.S. labor force at a much faster clip than new ones enter it (Piktialis, 2004). According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, about 76 million Boomers are going to retire between the years 2008 and 2030 (Lewis, 2004). And they’re going to take a great deal of organizational knowledge and many valuable skills with them when they go. Therefore, employers will need to devise strategies for meeting two overarching goals: becoming employers of choice for Gen X and Gen Y workers and making sure that older workers share their knowledge with these younger generations.

It’s clear that good work/family programs are among the keys to attracting and retaining the younger generations. For years, Gen Xers postponed having families, and many Gen Yers seem to be starting families earlier on in life (Armstrong, 2005). They’re not only looking for help with caregiving issues; they also want greater flexibility in terms of work arrangements. In fact, one study by the Families and Work Institute found that, on a scale of 1 to 10 (from least to most valued), working mothers gave flexibility a score of 9.2 (Elias, 2004).

Some companies are even experimenting with creating more flexible career paths. Deloitte & Touche, for example, has begun a pilot program that allows a limited group of workers to leave the company for years at a time for educational or other personal reasons and then come back to the company without giving up their career standing (Lewis, 2004).

Another strategy that often appeals to Gen X and Gen Y employees is mentoring. “When Boomers are willing to share their wisdom, they can often mentor the Gen Xers into compliance and cooperation – not to mention the bonus of longevity,” writes Marilyn Moats Kennedy, founder of Career Strategies (2004). “In exchange, Gen Xers can bring their elders up to speed technologically and perhaps offer newer professional insights. Mentors slow turnover and increase job satisfaction.”

With college-educated Gen Y employees just starting to enter the workforce in large numbers, such strategies might well become more widespread in coming years. The real trick will be targeting the actual needs of employees from different generations rather than relying on the generational stereotypes.



For more information on the ABC/Families and Work Institute report, click here.

For more information on the American Business Collaboration, click here.

Documents used in the preparation of this TrendWatcher include:

Armstrong, Tabitha. “Gen X Family Values.” The Lane Report. ProQuest. January 1, 2005, p. 41.

Elias, Marilyn. “The Family-First Generation.” USA TODAY. ProQuest. December 12, 2004.

Families and Work Institute. Generation & Gender in the Workplace. American Business Collaboration, 2004.

Fowler, Kellie. “Motivating & Managing the Generations.” PT. ProQuest. March 2004, p. 34.

Kennedy, Marilyn Moats. “Generation Management.” DVM. ProQuest. January 2004, p. 1.

Lewis, Diane E. “Younger Workers Put Their Families First, Study Says.” Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. ProQuest. October 6, 2004, p. 1.

Piktialis, Diane. “Bridging Generational Divides to Increase Innovation, Creativity and Productivity.” Workspan. ProQuest. August 2004, p. 36.

“Study Examines Differences Among Generations in the Workforce over the Past 25 Years.” Press release. October 25, 2004.