Shifting generations in the workforce are a regular occurrence: the older generation retires, the younger generation takes its place. However, we’re currently undergoing an unusually marked change. Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials have different outlooks, expectations, and skill sets, and it can be a challenge to gear your recruiting to all three talent segments. In this week’s RPOA Roundup, we take a look at the changing of the guard, what it will mean for recruiting, and how to succeed in recruiting any generation.
The Silver Tsunami – Recruiting an Aging Workforce – ERE - @ERE_net
The population is aging, and that is particularly true for the workforce. This article discusses the changing demographics of the working population, pointing out that birth rates are declining, immigration may be slowed, and almost half the population will be over fifty in under five years. It also discusses the difficulties that will stem from this change, including that older workers may not have the skills needed for in-demand jobs, and that many employers don’t have necessary systems in place to deal with large numbers of older employees.
Gen Xers: Skills, Strengths, and Shortcomings – ERE - @ERE_net
There’s a great deal of noise about baby boomers and millennials in the workforce, but this article argues that Generation X shouldn’t be overlooked. As the title says, it describes the skills, strengths, and shortcomings of Generation X workers, and sums them up by saying that they are the people “who show up and work.” It also suggests approaches to hiring Generation X workers, with recommendations that include emphasizing long-term stability in interviews, talking about the 401(k) instead of cool company trips, and avoiding buzzwords.
Generation Z: Five Suprising Insights – Robert Half - @roberthalf
This article reviews a recent white paper by Robert Half and Enactus, entitled “Get Ready for Generation Z,” which examines the preferences and behaviors of Generation Z, people born between 1990-1999. The article introduces the main points of the paper, as well as the five insights garnered the research. These include that Generation Z prefers to work in a private office at a midsize company, that they want responsibility and a good boss rather than fancy titles, and that they may have difficulties collaborating with baby boomers.
Reasons Top Talent is Scarce in the Market – RPOA - @RPOAssociation
Great talent has become scarce, and it will only become scarcer. This article, based on an RPOA webinar entitled “Attracting the Talent Your Organization Needs,” examines the reasons that great talent is currently hard to find, and suggests best practices for recruiting top talent. The article suggests that the major reasons top talent is scarce are that the workforce is shrinking as baby boomers are retiring and the brain drain that results, as skills leave the market with the retiring workers. Suggested best practices for recruiting top talent include investing in highly skilled recruiters, implementing a process and actually following it and treating recruiting like a sales function.
Migrating Knowledge Across Generations: A Talent Challenge and Opportunity – ERE - @ERE_net
The face of the workforce is changing: Baby Boomers are retiring, Generation X is taking over the management positions, and millennials have become the largest segment of the working population. However, as the Baby Boomers leave, they aren’t only taking physical bodies out of the working equation – they’re also taking decades of knowledge and intellectual capital that companies can’t afford to lose. This article examines the importance of transitioning that knowledge to Generation X and Generation Y, and looks at how to motivate and manage the two generations to effectively work together.
